Kuzuri
by Remus973
Summary: Mutation. It is the key to humanity's evolution. It allows us to adapt to whatever adversity come our way. One such adversity is the existence of ghouls, flesh eaters who hunt down humans like lions to antelopes. But for a person named Kaneki Ken, mutation would become the reason why three species of humanity would slowly unite as one. But not without pain from all sides.
1. Ch 0

**Hello. This is a new crossover fanfic that has never been done before. When I first heard about Tokyo Ghoul. I dismissed it as jut another anime made for middle school edgelords. It was even on Toonami on Adult Swim for some time, and I still didn't even want to watch it. Then when I saw it on Hulu's anime catalog, I decided to give it a shot. Sure enough, I couldn't believe what I saw! If this anime was a person, I would apologize to it for being such a dismissive dick to it. Some aspects of the anime reminded me of the X-Men, which is the reason why I wanted to do this crossover fanfic. It hasn't been done yet, so why not start now? This chapter is a prologue. A rather long one. It sets up the timeline and events, some of which involves X-Men characters, that lead up to where our story begins.**

1944: Nazi soldiers at a death camp reported a young Jew somehow manipulating metal bars with his hands while struggling to stay together with his mother. The young Jew in question was brought to the camp's resident scientist, Dr. Klaus Schmitt. The doctor specialized in genetics, and was interested in humans who exhibited powers worthy of the concept of the Ubermensch. The jew was identified by the name of Erik Lehnscherr. Schmitt ordered Lehnscherr to move metal objects. He fails to do so, which forces the doctor to use the murder of his mother to 'properly' motivate him. It worked. It wouldn't be until the downfall of Hitler's Germany would Erik Lehnscherr be free of Schmitt's influence. But the hatred instilled inside of him would make him embark on a single-minded crusade for vengeance. At the same time, a young English boy living in Westchester county, New York encountered a young mutant girl with blue skin masquerading as his mother. The boy possessed powers as well. He read into the mind of the imposter, and the imposter willingly revealed herself to him. The boy offered the girl a chance to be part of his family and she accepted.

1962: The Cuban missile crisis.

April 14th: The CIA investigates the existence of the secret organization known as the Hellfire Club. Believing them to profiting off the cold war conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union, Agent Moira MacTaggart discovered something far more radical. She discovers the members in possession of superhuman abilities, which they used to force a colonel of the US army to place missiles in Turkey to provoke aggression between the two superpowers. He was later killed by the same people.

May 8th: Seeking expert help on the nature of the powers the Hellfire Club possessed, MacTaggart sought an Oxford graduate by the name of Charles Xavier, who wrote a doctorate dissertation of the subject of mutation. An excerpt:

" _To Homo neanderthalensis, his mutant cousin, Homo sapiens, was an aberration… Records show, without exception, that the arrival of the mutated human species in any region was followed by the immediate extinction of their less-evolved kin_."

After meeting with her, Xavier, followed by his adopted sister Raven Darkholme (the blue-skinned shapeshifter), went to the CIA to prove the existence of mutants. Initially perceived as a threat, one high-ranked officer of the CIA sponsors the mutants and invites them to be part of a special division comprised of mutants to combat the Hellfire Club. When Schmitt, now going by Sebastian Shaw, is discovered on US soil, a covert strike team is ordered to apprehend him. Unfortunately, they were easily overpowered. However, the nighttime operation would not prove itself to be a total loss as at the same time Erik Lehnscherr was there to settle his vendetta against Shaw. Although he failed, it would be where he would meet Charles Xavier. The two would come to be good friends. At first. The threat of the Hellfire Club now becoming more apparent than ever, the CIA orders Division X to eliminate him. With help from the division's scientist Hank McCoy, a mutant himself, Both Xavier and Lehnscherr began to locate and recruit mutants best suited for the mission ahead with help from Dr. McCoy's latest invention, Cerebro, a mutant tracking device best used by a telepath like Charles Xavier. A majority of the recruits willing volunteered, save one.

June 15th: Division X receives intel of Emma Frost, a member of the Hellfire Club, meeting with a Soviet general. She convinces him of installing missiles in Cuba. When captured by Lehnscherr, Xavier, and MacTaggart, Frost confesses to what the Hellfire Club had planned, confident in her organization's success. Shaw desires the two superpowers to destroy each other so the humans would be wiped out by their own weapons while the mutants would survive and inherit the earth. During the mission, the rest of the club, led by Shaw himself, attack the CIA facility housing the mutants and persuading them to join his side. Some took the offer while others refused. Charles Xavier decides to use his childhood mansion as an interim training facility to get the mutants ready to face the Hellfire Club as their machinations were closer to Shaw's realization.

October 22nd: President John F. Kennedy delivers a speech.

" _It shall be the policy of this nation to regard any nuclear missile…launched from Cuba against any nation in the western hemisphere…as an attack by the Soviet Union against the United States._ _The cost of freedom is always high — but Americans have always paid it. One path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender or submission._ "

The United States sets up a naval blockade between the incoming Soviet ships and Cuba. If the blockade is crossed, it will be seen as an act of war from the USSR. The world trembles with fear of nuclear annihilation. Exactly what Sebastian Shaw desired. The children of the atom ruling the world.

October 23rd: Division X mobilizes to the blockade line between the Soviet ship and Cuba. The Hellfire Club also mobilizes to ensure their machinations come to fruition. Although initially outmatched by certain members, Division X eventually defeat the Hellfire Club when Erik Lehnscherr used his mutant abilities to lift the submarine from the sea itself and lands it on a nearby beach. He later confronts Sebastian Shaw, but fails to achieve his revenge as he proves himself too powerful for Lehnscherr to handle. Further diving into his need for revenge, he decides to abandon Charles Xavier due to the fact that during his fight with Shaw, he confesses to sharing Shaw's view of mutant supremacy. That they deserve the earth, more so than the humans. Although the Hellfire Club had been defeated, Division X would find themselves betrayed by the very people who turned to them for help. Erik eventually stops the metal-based weapons and turns it on the ships firing at him and the rest of the mutants on the beach. During the chaos, Shaw abandons the mutants on his side and Xavier would become a paraplegic, by a bullet meant for Erik but deflected by him. The mutants of the Hellfire Club now turn to Erik Lehnscherr for leadership. As does Raven Darkholme, after growing tension between him and Xavier.

November 1st: After a period of rest, Charles Xavier decides to make use of the experience. Even after losing his ability to walk, he is still determined to make a positive impact in the world by transforming his mansion into a school for young mutants. One of the mutants from the mission, Hank McCoy, helps him by being a teacher. While Erik Lehnscherr becomes a radical mutant terrorist, adopting the name Magneto, and creates an organization dedicated to mutant supremacy and domination called the Brotherhood of Mutants. Meanwhile, Sebastian Shaw developed a contingency plan. After rescuing Emma Frost from a CIA detention cell, the two of them head for a secluded base which Shaw had in case his plans would fail. Within the base were five stasis pods from which both he and Frost would cryogenically freeze themselves for 40 years to escape any and all intelligence agencies hunting after them.

1973: Vietnam

January 19th: 11 years had passed since Cuba. Charles Xavier successfully opens his school for mutants under the name "Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters." For the first six years, the school did its job of aiding and training mutants to control their powers to better fit into society. But as the conflict in Vietnam began to escalate, the shadows of war would soon loom over Xavier's school. Many of the teachers and students end up drafted into the war. Many of them dies, which causes Xavier to turn depressed and become an alcoholic. McCoy creates a serum which would not only suppresses his psychic abilities, but enable him to walk. At that time, a mutant by the name of Logan comes to both Xavier and McCoy for help regarding a mission he was on that involves Mystique, AKA Raven Darkholme.

January 20th: First Logan stops by the house of a comrade named Peter Maximoff, AKA Quicksilver. He quickly joins Logan as he wanted a challenge for his powers. The breakout of Magneto from his prison deep under the Pentagon was as good as any. A carefully coordinated plan of escape first showed success with Quicksilver proving himself to be a favorable asset. He would later discover the reason why Magento was apprehended, other than being a mutant terrorist. Erik confessed to being the perpetrator of Kennedy's assassination. Later, he would reveal to Charles that Kennedy was a mutant as well, and the assassination was actually a botched rescue attempt. Erik is told by Logan that Mystique intends to kill a man by the name of Bolivar Trask, who will create humanoid weapons called 'Sentinels' equipped with the means to track and exterminate any and all mutants within its sights. Erik also learns that if Trask gets a hold of Raven's DNA, Trask would create Sentinels that could adapt and mimic any and all mutant abilities they could see. Although their goals differed and tension filled the space between them, Erik and Charles agreed to work together to stop Raven from committing an act that possessed fatal consequences. Their next stop, the Paris Peace Accords.

January 23rd: The group arrives in Vietnam, where the Paris Peace Accords were taking place. Magneto first encounters Raven, only to be informed that Trask killed the brotherhood to create the Sentinels. At first, he lets her go out of rage for his fallen comrades, but later realize his mistake. At a private meeting, Trask would meet with the generals of the North Vietnamese military, attempting to persuade them to invest his Sentinel program after failing to do so with a U.S senate committee. He even displays the device that could detect the X-Gene that sets off whenever a mutant was detected. It did so, exposing Mystique. Mystique was close to killing Trask, only to be thwarted by Charles, Hank, and Logan. Erik attempts to kill her, but gets stopped by Hank. The fight eventually leads Raven, Erik, and Hank to be exposed to the world as mutants. Trask takes advantage of this as he meets with President Nixon to discuss the Sentinel program. He is successful as Nixon approves the program.

February 1st: Erik returns to the Pentagon to regain the helmet Sebastian Shaw left behind and took for himself. It proved itself useful as it doubled as a protective barrier against any and all psychic takeovers. Later that night, he manages to locate the prototype sentinels being transported to Washington.

February 3rd: Returning to the mansion, Charles, Hank, and Logan mend and think on their next move. Charles, deciding to regain his powers, ceases with using the serum to walk again and makes his back into Cerebro, now located at the bottom of his mansion. At first he fails, feeling that he was simply unable to be the man he used to be. Logan believes the opposite. Charles asks why. Logan eventually tells Charles and Hank the whole truth. Logan reveals that he actually comes from the future. Rather his mind is transported from the future and placed in his past body. He reveals that due to the existence of the Sentinels, the world has become a hell on earth. Both the human and mutant race are hunted down to the point of extinction. Because of his healing factor, Logan could survive the ordeal and if he succeeded, the future that he would still remember would never have existed for the rest of the world. Stunned by this information, Logan requested Charles to look into his mind. At first, Charles would only see his memories from his time as a test subject for weapon X. Then, further diving down into Logan's mind did he find the mental connection to the future. There did Charles meet with his future self, Professor X. Initially dismayed by the state of the future, Charles questions if co-existence with the humans was worth all that he suffered. Professor X helps Charles regain his sense of hope. With it, Cerebro works again, and Charles now finds Raven.

February 5th: President Nixon commences a ceremony, unveiling the Sentinels made to protect the American people against the 'mutant menace' that has the nation paralyzed in fear. Charles, Hank, and Logan search for Mystique within the crowd. Unfortunately, what stands in their way is Magneto, who crashes into the ceremony by lifting the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium and using it to surround the White House. Both Logan and Hank McCoy, transforming into his mutant persona the Beast, fight both Magneto and the Sentinels. It would prove itself to be a losing battle as Magneto locates some nearby metal bars, pierces Logan's entire body with them, and throws him into the Potomac river. Drowning makes it difficult for his mind to maintain the link with his body. It would not be long before the link becomes permanent and his body in the future dies. Meanwhile, Magneto makes a speech to the mutants of the world. Charles eventually locates Mystique in the safe room with President Nixon and Bolivar Trask. Magneto rips the safe room from the ground, rips it open, and disarms all of the Secret Service of their guns. He magnetically keeps the weapons with him with intention of shooting the president, but Mystique stops him from doing so by shooting him in the neck with a plastic gun she had with her just in case. She then turns her sights on Trask, but Charles tries to stop her from doing so. He persuades Raven to show mercy on the humans who want to hurt her, and in doing so prevent herself from being an enemy of humanity. She believes mercy to be futile as Raven believes she is already on the path of no return. Charles then does something he should have done a long time ago, but was blinded by both nostalgia and pride. Charles stops trying to control her, and trusts her to make the right choice. Raven, taking a moment to consider the grander consequences of her actions, ultimately decides to spare Trask, thereby showing that not all mutants desire the end of the human race. The hellish future is now erased from time itself due to this act.

February 10th: Public opinion on mutants remains divided within the world, let alone the United States. Some believe the mutants are a threat to the human race while others that the sooner the mutants have full civil rights, the more they would see co-existence as a preferable option. Meanwhile, Logan would later be 'rescued' by a military officer by the name of Major William Stryker. After getting arrested for selling US military secrets to Vietnamese military officials, Stryker makes use of Trask's assets to create a clandestine government organization to combat what he called, the mutant menace. Logan would become the first of many subjects for what he had in mind. Charles Xavier, satisfied that his sister would be seen as a hero for her actions, finds the will to be a teacher once again and reopens his school for young mutants once again. For 15 years, an uneasy tension would exist between the mutants and humans.

1981: Magneto establishes the mutant country of Genosha, an island nation east of Africa and north of Madagascar. After leading a mutant uprising against the preceding government, he exposes to the world the living conditions the mutant populace lived through. A situation where they had no choice but to live through proved itself no different that Slavery during the 1780s or South African Apartheid. The mutant population were treated as if they were property, living in complete squalor. Magneto inspires the mutants to follow him and break their chains of bondage. The campaign took six months before success took place. Magneto's first act as the nation's 'emperor' was the immediate deportation of the human citizens. This decision was immediately criticized by almost every nation leader in the world. None more so than a US Senator named Robert Kelly, who ran his election on anti-mutant rhetoric. Rhetoric that would become more acceptable to embrace when murders of a superhuman and barbaric nature were soon reported by both police and the news. Stories of bodies not just found but mutilated in a way that suggested that parts of them were literally devoured. Experts of the human body were consulted and brought up by news shows to give their professional opinion. One common thread between them were the conclusion. The strength needed to rip skin from bone would have to be superhuman for it to be possible. The only people capable of such acts were mutants. Such facts enabled the human population of many countries to go on 'mutant hunts.' Life for mutants became more difficult than before. None of them were spared the frenzied rage of the mobs who would go into mutant neighborhoods and terrorize them in their own homes. Not even the children would be spared. It would not until the late eighties that these murders were finally captured and arrested by the police. The Chicago 2nd precinct massacre would become one of the bloodiest memories America would have. The mutants used their powers to escape, but how their powers manifested that stuck into the minds of the few survivors. Large, crimson-black appendages sprouted from their back and moved quick. So quick that almost no bullet from the cop's guns hit them. And the few that did never pierced them. One of the survivors of the massacre was a mutant named Tabitha Smith but went by her mutant name Meltdown. Her mutant ability was creating spheres of plasma energy. Which can be used as a custom-made bomb and used her mutant power for self-defense. An excerpt:

" _I saw what those guys looked like. I used my powers to defend myself and anyone who didn't want to die. I can relate to that, and did what I could. Main takeaway is this. What I saw wasn't mutant powers. They were too much the same. Mutant powers don't work like that. They weren't mutants. Why? Cause I saw one of them eat some of the dead people. Plus, their eyes became black when they were doing that. Mutants don't eat dead people! THAT'S JUST TOO FU-_ "

News networks felt compelled to end the interview there, but her story struck a chord across both America and the world itself. All violent actions against mutants dramatically decreased to this revelation. Nation leaders all gave public apologies to their respective mutant populations. Although mutants were cleared of crimes they did not commit, the threat of these individuals did not disappear.

1988: A plan went underway to finally understand what they were. Individuals like the ones seen in Chicago were reported in Yonkers, New York. The person responsible for the capture of them were Charles Xavier and Hank McCoy. The two men made their case to the local city government, the Westchester County Board of Legislators. Since Xavier had a doctorate in genetics and McCoy possessed the technical skills to create holding cells strong enough to hold the likes of the Juggernaut, they would hold them and conduct a series of experiments that would help gain a better understanding of what the likes of the individuals, that caused the Chicago 2nd precinct massacre, were. The capture was successful in part of the police's cooperation and Xavier's psychic abilities. Once the subjects were secure at the mansion, both Charles and Hank could run test to determine the nature of their existence. Acquiring their DNA proved itself to be a difficult endeavor as their skin proved itself impenetrable, but not impossible as it took some creative thinking along with knowledge of anatomy. Xavier got more information by using his powers to make the individuals talk to him. The two men even contacted with various other doctors across the world who specialized in not just genetics, but also physiology and medicine. Once the tests were complete, a press conference was held in front of the mansion. Charles Xavier announced his discoveries to the world. An excerpt:

" _After much research into their origins, as well as an intricate analysis into their DNA, our findings have concluded that these individuals, some of which were responsible for the 2_ _nd_ _precinct in Chicago, are a subspecies of humanity. However, unlike mutants, their genetic potential had peaked a long time ago and should've gone extinct. Whether by a miracle or the devil's luck, their species have thrived well into the 20_ _th_ _century. Dr. McCoy and I, alongside with other highly regarded doctors and geneticists, have classified this human subspecies as ghouls. Named after fictional demons from Pre- Islamic Arabic folklore who usually live around graveyards, feasting on corpses._ "

Xavier went on about how the discoveries came to be, but it gave the people clarification and answers as to how these crimes were conducted and who would do them. Now there are three species of humanity, all trying to live in this world however they can. However, for the humans, ghouls were not just a physical threat, but an existential one as well. This was a species that fed on them. For so long humans considered themselves the top of the food chain. Even though they now had to share it with mutants, until ghouls came along, they never feared the emergence of a predator. The humans never once considered themselves to be in the position of the mouse, the rabbit, the pig, the sheep, or even the cow. As for the mutants, once it was furthered discovered that ghouls could not feed on them due to how they tasted to them, some, like Magneto, said that they should be left to nature. If they died, then the world can belong to the mutants. While other mutants agreed with Xavier's point of view. The ghouls gave the humans a reason to strive for co-existence. Two species united against a foe who has everything to gain by seeing the two sides destroy one another. The rest remained neutral and only desired to live for themselves and keep to themselves. Although Charles Xavier did a great service to both humanity and the mutants, he wondered if his presenting his research to the general public so soon would have any repercussions. Nonetheless, the short-term consequences were the ones he had always worked towards. Governments from all over the earth now had incentive to give mutants their full civil rights.

1992: Agencies dedicated to the elimination of ghouls rose over the next four years. Although they possessed access to military-grade weaponry, they had little effectiveness against the ghouls. Part of the reason why said agencies faced little criticism was due to the mutants that signed up for them. They had the power to face the ghouls on equal footing. Some abilities were more effective than others, but then came another problem that was connected to the ghouls. The rise of mutant vigilantes. Some believed that the ghoul hunting agencies were only effective because of the mutants, which led to younger mutants acting for themselves. Many of the young mutants becoming vigilantes came from low-income neighborhoods, AKA places that people generally ignore out of indifference. Many of these young mutants either went to the hospitals in droves or ended up dead. Their actions and reasons for doing so mostly fell on deaf ears. All except Charles Xavier. He sets up another press conference for two reasons. First, he announced his plans to expand his school across the city and state of New York, and then hopefully the rest of America. He took notice of young mutants acting to defend their vulnerable neighborhoods against ghouls who viewed the people living in them as easy prey, and desires to send teachers who are willing to give them a proper education to using their powers the right way. However, he knows that such an undertaking would take time and money to pull off. Which led to the second reason of the press conference. He announced a team of mutants dedicated to the defense of both humans and mutants against the ghouls. He calls his team of trained mutants the X-Men. All of them from ages 16 to 19, save two. The names of the members and their team names were as followed:

Scott Summers/ Cyclops

Jean Grey/ Marvel Girl

Kurt Wagner/ Nightcrawler

Alex Summers/ Havok

Ororo Monroe/ Storm

Hank McCoy/ Beast

Sean Cassidy/ Banshee

Warren Worthington III/ Archangel

Piotr Rasputin/ Colossus

With his team could Charles Xavier set an example for mutants to follow. Although the first few missions indicated a rocky start, defending innocent people from the onslaught of the ghouls gained them praise from both humans and mutants alike. Charles capitalized on the popularity of their successes and expanded his school thanks in part to the State of New York. The X-Men were viewed as heroes for fighting against the ghouls who wanted the humans and mutants to live in fear them. Their notoriety also helped the X-Men grow in terms of ranks. One mutant in particular caught the attention of Charles. Rather, he found the mutant he once worked with a long time ago. Through Cerebro, he sent his X-Men to recruit him. Initially believed to be violent and feral, the X-Men would soon discover that he shared the values as they did. The reason why he chose isolation was due to his amnesia. He possessed no past, owned nothing to indicate any identity. Save for a military dog tag with only one name. Logan. After a little more persuasion did Logan finally joined the X-Men. He would be known to the world as the Wolverine. His wild style of fighting, as well as his steel claws, made him somewhat more popular than the rest of the team. Nonetheless, Charles Xavier vowed to help Logan to recover the memories he lost after Charles lost track of him during the Sentinel incident. The X-Men would be revered by those who wanted to be protected by the ghouls. For the next 14 years did they showed the world what it meant to be a mutant. Their willingness to defend a world that once hated and feared them gave the mutants of the world pride in being themselves.

2000: A series of terrorist attacks rocks the capital city of Tokyo. News reports, both local and international, all state similar facts. The places where it they happened occurred in densely populated area where the city's mutant population are also located. And that ghouls were sighted afterwards. The X-Men took notice and investigate into the matter. Their investigation uncovered how the attacks were carried out. Minor sound vibration that certain mutants were sensitive to were felt before massive explosions struck afterwards. Afterwards, ghouls appeared and raided the areas for bodies to feed upon. Some of them even gave killing shots to any stragglers they see. During the investigation, Charles Xavier was contacted by one of Japan's most prominent leader of industry. Ichiro Yashida, CEO of Yashida Industries. He reveals to Charles Xavier that the attacks are related to an incident involving the theft of an experimental weapon that Yashida Industries only developed software for. The project was a collaboration effort with the Deterrence Research Corporation (DRC), the world's foremost independent weapons manufacturing firm. To show his cooperation is genuine, Ichiro send his granddaughter, Mariko, to aid the X-Men. She was pleased and honored to work together with the members. The only mutant she had difficulty cooperating with was Logan. Their first meeting, his anti-social mannerisms made a bad first impression on her. Nonetheless, she gave him a chance, and her opinion on Logan began to improve when at the site of the last explosion when he discovered an important clue that both police and Yashida Industries scientists overlooked. It gave the X-Men an important lead to finally reveal the perpetrators and the ghouls partnering with them. Logan later apologized to Mariko for how he acted when they first met. The more time the X-Men spent in Japan, the more Mariko and Logan began to know each other. The two fell for each other in due time. Unfortunately, Mariko was arranged to be married by her father, Shingen Yashida, to a politician named Hideki Noburo. When it was found out that Noburo often played around behind her back, she could not find herself wanting to go ahead with the engagement. But her father forced her to do so, even if it meant suffering indignity of infidelity. Logan, however, wanted to free her from both her uncaring father and her lecherous hump of a fiancé. Meanwhile, the X-Men finally found the man behind the terrorist attacks. It was the head of the DRC himself, Moses Magnum. He had stolen the weapon himself because he wanted a controlling stake of Yashida Industries after he had found out that Shingen had taken the family company to near bankruptcy. With the scandal that would follow, Yashida Industries stock would fall in value, making it susceptible for takeover. However, the X-Men, assisting both Japanese authorities and Yashida Industries, became an unexpected obstacle. One that eventually unraveled a rather petty conspiracy that costed dozens of lives. Magnum did battle with the X-Men, managing to escape in part of his powers to generate seismic waves from his fists, and with assistance from the ghouls under his employ. Cyclops updated both Ichiro and Shingen Yashida on their progress. Both men expressed shock at this revelation, and gave their utmost gratitude to Cyclops. Scott only had one request: that the X-Men would be the ones who brings Magnum to justice. Meanwhile, Mariko began to reach her limit with the two men she felt were suffocating her with indignity. She confesses to Logan that she planned to commit suicide in a spectacular manner. He talks her out of it, and confesses his love for her. She reciprocates. However, the love affair would soon be found out by her father, Shingen. Shingen takes this as an affront to his honor by the X-Men. He tells Scott as soon as Moses Magnum is brought to justice, he would make sure that Logan would never set foot in Japan ever again. Scott hears Logan's side of the story. Although he sympathized with Mariko and commends Logan on reversing her choice to commit suicide, he still tells Logan to keep his distance from Mariko. The rest of the X-Men felt for the two and supported their right to have a relationship, but had to focus on the mission. They soon discover one more site Magnum intends to attack, only to find out that it was a ghoul-infested distraction. They later receive a call from Wolverine, who skipped out this time, to inform his team that Magnum is actually targeting the main building of Yashida Industries. Another set of ghouls under Magnum's employ attack the building with orders to kill everyone in sight. Magnum's links to the terrorist attacks were not exposed to the public yet, and wanted to keep it that way with a pre-emptive strike. The X-Men arrive to prevent further casualties. Although Magnum was brought to justice by Japanese authorities and the ghouls associated with him exterminated, when the fight ended, the casualty count was 23. Among them was Hideki Noburo and Mariko Yashida. Ichiro and his daughter-in-law, Tomoe, were the only ones who expressed profound sorrow over her death. Shingen meanwhile showed little sadness over losing his only daughter. Although he did not show it, Logan also mourned over her. The X-Men were not allowed to attend her funeral. Two months passed since their mission in Japan, Logan received a letter written completely in Japanese. With help from Hank did he found out that it was Mariko under her new name, Sayu Kaneki. It stated that she found an opportunity to fake her death within the chaos. Although she regretted deceiving Logan, she wanted to wait until enough time had passed until she made contact with Logan to come find her. Even though he would be willing to work with the X-Men again time to time, this meant that his life with the X-Men had come to an end. His team, his family, understood and acknowledged his love for Mariko. Or rather, Sayu. Logan made his way to Nagasaki, back to Mariko. He found happiness.

December 20th, 2001: Ken Kaneki is born.

2004:

July 13th: The ranks of the X-Men grew to considerable size. New members added to the effectiveness of the team. Their names:

Robert Louis "Bobby" Drake/ Iceman

Katherine Anne "Kitty" Pryde/ Shadowcat

Samuel Guthrie/ Cannonball

Amara Aquilla/ Magma

Rahne Sinclair/ Wolfsbane

Jaime Madrox/ Multiple

Ray Carter/ Berzerker

Roberto Da Costa/ Sunspot

Jean Grey was invited by NASA to participate in a project onboard the ISS (International Space Station). During the mission, a strange anomaly occurred near earth's orbit. When it was observed, it took the shape of an eagle or falcon. It headed for the station and, if hit, would tear the station apart. Killing all the astronauts inside. Jean used her psychic abilities to change the direction of the anomaly. However, once she reached the anomaly with her powers, it instantly disappeared. While both the public and her teammates saw the incident as an achievement on her part. Jean felt differently. She felt as if the anomaly affected her somehow. She felt something. Something alive, primordial, relentless in its passions. During a public event where she was in the middle of receiving a Congressional medal of honor, the first mutant to do so, her powers suddenly went out of her control. Professor Xavier managed to calm her down. The official word was that Jean Grey felt some level of exhaustion due to the rescue, and the stress that came with the media attention of her receiving the congressional medal caused her to momentarily lose a grip on her powers. When Professor Xavier examined her, he felt an alien presence inside of her. A presence that slowly consumed her mind and sanity. He attempts to remove it, but it proves itself too strong for Xavier to do anything about. Now sensing danger, the alien presence fully takes over Jean and escapes from the X-Mansion, much to the shock of her fellow teammates. Professor Xavier survives the ordeal and tells his team what he uncovered during his examination of Jean. Only one word made sense for the professor: Phoenix. While the X-Men search for Jean, she is guided by another voice. She eventually follows it to a mutant familiar to Charles and Magneto. Emma Frost. Taking advantage of the naiveite of the alien presence known as the Phoenix, she guides her to Sebastian Shaw. She explains that the two of them arose from cryo-sleep two years earlier. Emma was silently elated at the fact that mutants were now seen as human rather than inhuman, and asked Sebastian to leave behind his plans for mutant superiority and start over. Sebastian, however, saw the world and it made him unsatisfied. It was not enough for him. He wanted humanity to be wiped out by their own weapons to deprive the ghouls of their source of sustenance. He was aware of the existence of ghouls long before humanity ever did. During his time as a scientist in Hitler's regime. This greatly shocked Emma to the point that it made her question her loyalty for Sebastian.

August 3rd: When the X-Men's search for Jean turned in no new leads, Charles uses Cerebro one more time. He senses a familiar psychic signature. One he had not felt since the Cuban Missile Crisis. Charles then makes haste to Genosha. He explains to the team that this was the first time he formed a team like the X-Men, but that he worked with the CIA at one point to stop a mutant threat. And he did so with Magneto. Which played into why he wanted to into Genosha. Once there, Charles told Magneto that he felt Emma Frost through Cerebro. At first Magneto was silent for one minute. He then tells Charles he would lend him his help and would soon join him shortly. Magneto's acolytes were confused by their master's willingness to help, what they called Charles behind Magneto's back, the human lover. Magneto tells his acolytes to leave him alone. Once they did, everything metal around them started to float and shake. Across the island, everything metal floated, then crushed. Charles knew this to be Erik's unresolved anger. Charles attempted to calm down Erik, but the murder of his mother still made him feel both pure rage and sorrow. The anger eventually subsided, and Magneto joins the X-Men to hunt down the last remnants of the Hellfire Club.

August 5th: Sebastian Shaw begins searching for mutants with abilities most useful to him. Emma locates a mutant group that named themselves the Morlocks, living in the sewers of New York. They chose to live underground at first because of the humans who saw them with fear and disgust. They know about how mutants are now living in peace with the humans, but chose to stay underground for two reasons. The ghouls hunting down and killing mutants was compelling in of itself. But the Morlocks also feared that if humanity was successful in wiping out the ghouls from the earth, they would turn their attention to the mutants aboveground and make them suffer the same fate. Sebastian assured them that they would soon be free of their fears because of Jean. Sebastian asks the Morlocks to assist him in usurping the humans of their power by taking the Indian Point Energy Center. At first, the Morlocks hesitate. Shaw then asks Jean to demonstrate what the Phoenix is capable of. She steps up and picks out a mutant by the name of Caliban, a young man who can locate other mutants from far distances. But his albino skin makes him unsightly, even for other mutants. She uses her Phoenix force to enhance his abilities and give more. Now Caliban has psychic abilities like her, along with skin that would withstand the light of the sun. Like regular humans and mutants. Sebastian, surprised by this ability, capitalizes on this makes a rousing speech about how mutants are called Homo Superior for a reason. Shaw, Jean, Emma, and the Morlocks were successful in over taking the nuclear power plant, but were soon foiled by the X-Men alongside with Magneto. A battle occurred between the Hellfire Club, The Morlocks, and the Phoenix with the X-Men and Magneto, to which Magneto would finally have his vengeance against the man who took his mother away from him. The fight was a repeat of Cuba at first, but thanks to Emma Frost's betrayal of Shaw did Magneto finally defeat him for good. This further strained his relationship with Charles, but was smoothed over when Erik gave the Morlocks an opportunity to make Genosha their home. The leader of the Morlocks, Callisto, at first was hesitant. After hearing from Erik that his nation was mutants-only, she looked at her fellow Morlocks in accepting his offer. All except Caliban. It was then the Phoenix got closer to taking over Jean. Charles used his powers one last time to help Jean, but seemed futile. It was then Emma Frost got to be of unexpected help again by helping the professor free Jean from the influence of the Phoenix. The two succeeded, and Jean was finally herself again. Caliban was offered to go to Genosha one last time, but refused as wanted to make use of his newfound freedom he got from the Phoenix to be more in touch with the surface. Although Jean was fully herself, she ultimately feared that her grip on her sanity was tenuous at best. Although both Professor X and Frost were successful, it took too much effort to free her from the Phoenix. She had no desire to see anyone suffer for her. She makes a conscious decision to fully merge with the Phoenix, much to the dismay of her teammates. She was successful, and the Phoenix was now fully formed. Although traces of Jean's consciousness could be felt, the mind of the Phoenix was too prominent to track. It departed into the vastness of space, never to be seen again. The X-Men were successful once more in defending humanity, but this victory came at a terrible price. So much so, it nearly tore the X-Men apart.

November: Time passed, and some of the old guard decided to move on from the X-Men. Hank stays on, but decides to focus more on his lab work and teaching. Ororo goes to Wakanda and resumes her relationship with T'Challa. Kurt travels the world. Cyclops…is just gone. The rest of the team go on to be teachers, some stay at the mansion while others go to the auxiliary schools around New York. Needless to say, losing Jean Grey tore apart the X-Men. For a while.

2006:

January: The U.N. approves of an agency, financially backed by them, dedicated to the eradication of ghouls. The GCB (Ghoul Countermeasures Bureau) is formed, with branches opened across the world.

March 18th: It was reported that various news outlets that there were no new mutants born since the beginning of the new year. This troubles Charles and decides to look into the matter. Meanwhile, Logan visits the mansion for a while for medical help. After the checkup, Charles asks Logan for a special favor. When he was using Cerebro, Charles picked up mental activity from mutant children. Mutant children in distress, to be precise. He pinpointed one in El Paso, Texas. Logan agrees to do this with a condition of his own. If he doesn't report in after a month, Charles would tell his wife to move on from him. At the beginning, Charles receives regular reports from Logan about his progress on his mission. But the last one regarding Weapon X would be the last time he would hear from Logan.

April 20th: After a month, Charles had to assume the worst. It would not be until a group of mutant children came to the X-Mansion with devastating news. He would have to perform one of the most personally devastating duties of his life. He travels to Nagasaki, Japan to visit Sayu in person to tell her the worst news imaginable.

May 1st: Sayu decides to move back to Tokyo with her son, hoping that enough time had passed so she could go back for better job opportunities. With assistance from Hank McCoy, who helped her with faux job experience that matched with what she learned back in Yashida Industries, she was ready to help support her son once the both of them got to Tokyo. Her son did not make much friends, so he did not have anyone to miss. The one thing he wanted to take with him were the many books Logan collected to make sure that Ken would be more educated than him.

May 3rd: Sayu and Ken both made it to Japan. The two of them look at the city in amazement. Trying to see what the future has in store.

2007: The neighbors in the apartment complex contact the supervisor about loud noises that emanated from the seventh floor. The resident one floor below them had even reported that he felt something wet drip on his head. He was shocked to find blood. The supervisor checks, but too much time had passed that some of the residents contacted the police instead. They arrive to see the apartment completely empty. No residents or any of their belongings could be seen. The neighbors refute this by claiming that a woman and her only son lived there. Some of them even remember their names. The detectives assigned to the case discovered that there were no traces of the two of them anywhere. The only physical file that could be found was a copy of a birth certificate for a young boy named Ken Kaneki born in Nagasaki.

2012: A young man in a daze is wandering around the streets, wearing nothing but white latex shorts and sleeveless shirt. Metal claws also stick out from the back of his hands. Everyone who see him are apprehensive of him. Eventually, the police see him and ask him to please retract his claws. The young man shows that he can follow orders. It was eventually discovered that he was Ken Kaneki, but older and in possession of mutant abilities. A man by the name of Akihiro Kanou. He examines the young man to discover two things. They physical examination reveals that although he suffers from minor malnutrition, he is in possession of what he calls a healing factor, which prevents him from achieving any permanent harm. Second, he suffers from amnesia as he presented pictures of his past life in Nagasaki but does not respond to them. The only thing he responds to is a picture of his mother, which causes him to cry but he does not know why. The case was closed, but only with tangential conclusions. Kaneki was placed in a mental health care facility under Kanou's care for a year before being placed in a children's home. He would prove himself to be someone who is capable of being educated and even creative in art. It would aid in his rehabilitation, even unto his high school and college years.

 **And that is my prologue. I hope that you are feeling at least interested. For clarification:**

 **Both mutants and ghouls exist alongside humans**

 **I renamed the CCG as its translation didn't make much sense in terms of coherence.**

 **Logan is dead, but the rest of the X-Men are still alive.**

 **The first half of the Phoenix Saga is summarized because I wanted to save it for later. As one of the storylines of my re-working of root A, which I am calling route X. Be patient.**

 **I base some of the events of the prologue from the X-Men movies while other from actual X-Men comic books. But I get the information from wikis. I don't own comic books.**

 **The year that the main storyline will take place will be around 2019 to 2020.**

 **Feel free to review. If you have any questions, put them in the review. I will answer them as best I can. Share with your friends if you like this. Later!**


	2. Ch 1

**Hello again. This is the first chapter of the new crossover that I'm working on. The real fist chapter, instead of the first one I uploaded. Already I have people who favored it and wanted to be updated on new chapters. Thank you, fans. As for the story itself, some aspects of Marvel will be integrated into the world of Tokyo Ghoul. Large corporations like Stark Industries and Roxxon will be mentioned. As well as groups like the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D., but not all of them in the same chapter or anything like that. When they will be relevant, they will be written in. For now, this story will largely focus on the anime story of the first season with some references to the X-Men properly inserted in. Kaneki's character is mostly the same. Whatever changes there are, I will explain afterwards. Let's get on with it.**

The city of Tokyo, at night. It's no different than any other 21st century metropolis. Skyscrapers tall as the eye could see, neon light adverts brightening the city streets, and people. Lots and lots of people going about their lives in whatever fashion they desire. And like any other, Tokyo has both a human population, and a mutant one. This city also possessed a Ghoul population. Impervious to any manmade weapon, ghouls feasted on the flesh of men. A monster usually relegated to horror fantasy, alive in the real world. Only mutants could defend themselves against them, and were fortunate enough to not be eaten by them. Some ghouls wait for some humans to drop dead of their own free will. Others go for the thrill of the hunt. One such ghoul is now being hunted down by an agency dedicated to defending humanity against her own kind.

"GCB base from 023. Intruders spotted at the Aqua building at the 20th word. Intruders believed to be ghouls. I repeat, Intruders believed to be ghouls. Move in immediately."

A lone woman with violet hair and a slender build is feasting upon a medley of corpses with zero clothing on her body in front of a large fish tank adorned by neon lights.

"More! More! I want more!"

She laughs at how she plays with her food, just letting the blood flow into her mouth. She is experiencing nothing but ecstasy. Then another come into the neon lighted room. He is of a muscular build wearing a white suit, a hockey mask, and sharp finger guards. As he approaches the ghoul woman, he cracks his fingers with just one hand.

"My, my. What a mess. They sure weren't kidding when they call you a binge eater."

The ghoul woman drops a human head.

"All I want to do is enjoy my meal. Why do you've to interrupt me?"

The woman gets up as she felt a confrontation was imminent.

"You don't know who I am, do ya?"

"Actually, yes. You're a miserable bastard who like to pester others."

"Who has orders from above to take you alive. But…"

His voice grows demented in tone.

"Maybe my superiors wouldn't mind if I take a finger or two. Or maybe an arm or leg. Hell, why not all four?!"

He takes out a pair of pliers.

"YOU WOULDN'T MIND, RIGHT?!"

The ghoul woman slightly laughs at the masked ghoul.

"Should've known a big man like you carries a weapon that small."

She turns around to face him.

"If you think I'm going down that easy, you're just as stupid as you look."

The masked ghoul speeds next to her and speaks in a low, menacing voice.

"Watch it, or I'll make you lose more."

Large, crimson, spiked appendages emerged from his back and attempted to hit the ghoul woman, but she was faster than him. Fast enough to dodge. One of the appendages hit the fish tank next him. The resulting water flow momentarily distracted him enough for the ghoul woman to escape. The masked ghoul looks for her to see slimmer crimson appendages fleeing away from him. He slowly realizes his pliers were not in his hands. The ghoul woman stole them from him. His demeanor went from twisted to anger.

"How dare you…Those are mine! GIVE THEM BACK! THEIF!"

The ghoul woman looks over the city with the pliers she just stole. She throws them away due to boredom.

"I don't want to play with you anymore."

xxxxxx

In a coffee shop, two young men were discussing places where one could take a girl on a date. while a news program reported on the incident in the 20th ward.

"Early this morning, authorities discovered several unidentified bodies inside the Aqua building, a commercial building. Forensics have discovered, what they believed to be, ghoul saliva on the bodies of the deceased. As a result, the incident has been classified a ghoul crime."

One of them had light orange spiky hair while wearing a pair of headphones on his neck, a yellow jacket, green cargo shorts, and orange sneaker. While the other had flat black hair while wearing a black sweater, dark green pants, and brown shoes. Spiky hair was laughing.

"Come on. It's not that funny."

"You've got to be seriously joking, man. You can't take a girl to a bookstore on the first date."

"Why not? She might like it."

"Kaneki, she is going to think you're lame if you do that."

"Well, you got any better ideas?"

"That's easy. I would pay attention to what's the girl is into, then pick a place I thought she would enjoy. Like…something girly."

"Wow. That was such profound advice, Hide. Ladies must be all over you."

"Well, if they were, I'd pick out one of them on go out instead of sitting here drinking coffee."

"Anyways, that's not the only place I wanted to take her."

"Where else? Big girl?"

"My art studio in Kami."

"You don't have a…"

Kaneki reached for one of his pockets to take out a certain kind of key. Hide looked at it with astonishment while Kaneki had a smug look on his face.

"They gave you a personal art studio?!"

"Yep. They wanted to take a chance with my graffiti art."

"Dude, that is so cool. Let me guess, you're gonna show off your skills so you can show just how talented you are."

"Girls go for the artist type, right?"

Hide looked around to see a girl with purple hair coming up to their table.

"Let's ask one. Excuse me, miss? Can I get a cappuccino?"

"One sec."

The girl approached their table and began to take their order.

"Okay. You want a cappuccino, right? And you sir?"

"I'm fine, thank you."

"Miss, before you go, just one question. What's your name?"

"Hide."

The girl answers him in a bashful manner.

"I'm… Touka Kirishima."

Hide got up from his seat and right in her face.

"Let's get right to the chase. What kind of guys are ya into?"

"Cut it out, you idiot."

Touka ran from the table in embarrassment. Kaneki was cross with Hide over what he did.

"What a hottie."

"If you get me kicked out of here, I'll never let it go. This coffee shop is the only place where I can run into her."

"Alright fine. I won't harass the staff here."

Kaneki gave a look that expressed disbelief.

"Again."

He then sighed over that stunt and resumed drinking his coffee. Hide listens more of the news broadcast on the TV.

"-over the last few days, authorities have transferred investigation to the Ghoul Countermeasures Bureau. the 20th ward branch is concerned that-"

"They're hitting close to home, aren't they?"

"I know."

Just then, the shop door bell chimed, indicating another customer had arrived. Kaneki see the person coming in and slowly gasps at who she was.

"Hide, look behind you."

Hide does so and sees the girl Kaneki was talking about. The both of them see her pass by them with Kaneki looking in awe. Hide then gives his thoughts.

"Skip the bookstore."

"What?"

"Play the artist card. It's the only chance you got."

"Like right away?"

"No…Take her out to lunch first, go around a nearby park, then take her to your art studio. It's the only way I can see this play out without you looking like a total nerd."

Kaneki sips his coffee, absorbing Hide's advice. Hide then drops some change on Kaneki's book.

"I gotta jet."

"Wait…"

Before Kaneki could say any more, Hide was already at the door.

"Later. Remember my advice. Good luck. I'm rooting for ya!"

Kaneki sat in his seat feeling awkward before looking at the woman he was smitten with. He observes her to see her reading a book. Not just any book, but the same one was reading himself.

xxxxxx

Kaneki got back to his place and called Hide with the news.

"Hide, I got seriously awesome news. I got a date!"

Hide was shocked to hear that.

"For real?! What was her name?"

"Rize Kamishiro. I was trying to think of something I wanted to say to her, but I discovered something we have in common. We both like books!"

"You're one lucky bastard, you know that?"

"And get this. We both like not any book, but the same author as well."

"Oh yeah. What was her name? Sen Takasaki?"

"Takatsuki. She was also interested to seeing my art studio to see my work. She even wanted to see me do my graffiti art."

"Knew it. She's into artists."

"Yeah. Thanks for that. But before that, she wanted to go to the bookstore tomorrow on Sunday."

"What? You actually asked her to that?"

"That's just the thing. I didn't. She asked."

"Man, going to the bookstore on a date is as exciting as watching paint dry. You kids have fun though."

Hide hung up the phone and biked his way back home. Where he was cycling from was from was another ghoul sighting. Two investigators were inspecting the site where the binge-eater was last seen. One was bespectacled and was in early 30's while the other was definitely pushing 40.

"We got another one. It's starting to get ugly here."

"Tell me about it."

"What I don't get is this. One body is usually enough to keep them fed for a month, but what's the deal with binge eaters?"

"This is why maybe we have to start treating them like equals. If we treat them like animals, they're more liable to kill us all."

"Ghouls ain't like mutants, man. When you get down to it, mutants are more like us. It's just the powers that gave them crap for quite a long while."

"Yeah, I remember watching the mutant hunts on video tapes in my history class back in school. If only ghouls could make a solid case for co-existence. The same way mutants did."

"Don't forget. They eat us."

"Simple. Feed them the criminals."

Both investigators slightly laughed.

xxxxxx

It was Sunday, and Kaneki couldn't wait for the day to start. He got dressed up in an effort to impress Rize. The couple first went to the bookstore to check out what each of their favorite genres were. It wouldn't be until Kaneki got hungry that the two had spent the entire morning at the bookstore. Then the two went to a restaurant where Kaneki ordered a ground beef steak for lunch while Rize only had a light sandwich. The two of them talked about their favorite author, and which book of hers did they love the most. Afterwards, they went to Kami university, to Kaneki's personal art studio provided by the school itself. When Kaneki turned on the lights, Rize was amazed to see such stylized works done by spray paint. The room had three walls already possessing graffiti art that encompassed the whole wall. There was only one wall that was left blank.

"I know. Usually people who use spray paint are the kind who like to say…"

"F**k the police."

Kaneki was surprised to hear Rize both curse and understand rap song references.

"I once had a roommate who was into that kind of music. Personally, I think it's too loud."

"Well sometimes I listen to it, but mostly from music artists like The Weeknd, Pharrell Williams, and Post Malone."

"I think I know one of them."

"So far, I'm liking what I put in my playlist and play while I do my work."

"How long does it you take to finish…"

"One of my walls? It depends. Usually it takes me from an hour to maybe three days. Depends on…"

"Motivation?"

Rize was now so close to Kaneki that he saw some of her cleavage by accident. He instantly turned away, making Rize believe that she was making him uncomfortable.

"Something wrong?"

"Actually, no. I…actually want to…paint you something."

(Play _Post Malone, Swae Lee - Sunflower_ )

This got Rize excited.

"Really?"

"Yeah. If you'll let me."

Rize instantly let go of Kaneki to let him get his materials. He went to a nearby closet to retrieve his duffel bag that possessed his spray paint cans of varying colors, as well as two cans of dark grey paint. Inside of the closet were other paint cans consisting of three background colors: black, white and dark grey. First, he puts on an aquamarine-colored hoodie.

"My work clothes."

Using a long roller brush, he paints out the center of the white wall with dark grey paint. Then he started doing outlines with white paint using the long roller brush in a creative fashion. Rize was impressed with this. When he finished, he then took out his various spray cans and got started. Kaneki showed skill with a spray can that almost no one would expect from a young man who looked meek and shy. Yet, Kaneki showed his talent for art in how he used spray paint cans to create something remarkable. From broad sprays to focused bursts and everything else in between, Rize looked at how he blends the colors together to make an image in his head come to life. She then asks Kaneki a question.

"Is this a memory?"

"Sort of."

The colors he was using were brown, green, blue, white, black, light pink, and yellow. As Rize realized that his graffiti painting was going to take a little long, she looks around the room to see a lone bookshelf. She heads there to see what he reads for inspiration. Kaneki looks at her for a moment to see her heading for said bookshelf. She saw some regular books along with art books, one of which she took a look and was impressed at what inspires Kaneki. But the one book that caught her attention and interest was a large 3-ring binder. She looks inside of it to discover photographs of graffiti art. Presumably made by Kaneki. He confirms it.

"All that wall art you see in there were made by me. It's a scrapbook of my work. Look at it if you like."

Rize flipped through the pages of Kaneki's scrapbook and was blown away at what she saw. Some of the art depicted ordinary life in Tokyo with bright and engaging colors while others were more fantastical, rooted in fantasy. The one Rize liked was that of a white fox nuzzling a small brown bear.

"This one looks cute."

"Which one?"

"The one with the bear and the white fox."

"Yeah, that one had a lot of love from a lot of people. I'm almost done."

Rize looked at what Kaneki was finishing up. It was an image of a deer approaching what looked like a child's hand in a part of a forest that was near some large body of water. While Rize looked at the wall painting and began to be smitten by him, Kaneki felt that what he created felt familiar to him in a way he wished he could remember, but could not.

(end song)

xxxxxx

So much time had passed that it was already night.

"Thank you for letting see your work. I loved it… so much."

Rize blushed at the last thing she said. Kaneki was amazed at how he managed to get a girl to act shy around him.

"No thank you. It was great getting to know somebody like you."

Rize looked apprehensive for some reason, and Kaneki could tell.

"Something wrong?"

"It's just…I live at the ward where all those attacks are happening."

"Oh…Oh! No, don't look so sad. I don't blame you if you want me to walk with you to where you live."

"You don't mind?"

"I'd be a total jerk If I let you walk alone."

Rize chuckle a little at how Kaneki was acting around her. As the two walked together, the trees were adorned with lights. During the walk, Kaneki talks with Rize about his friend Hide.

"So, he asks me 'Which do you like better? Me or novels?'"

"So, which did you pick?"

"Novels, duh."

Rize laughs at Kaneki's response.

The two of them talked some more to the point where Rize eventually asked how Kaneki got into creating art.

"It helped me regain my sense of self."

"Regain?"

"Some time ago, I was struck with amnesia. I couldn't remember who I was or who my parents were. I honestly couldn't remember anything really."

"I'm so sorry."

"It turned out good in the end. Discovering art and literature helped out, and still does to this day. It's…kind of weird really. I've never had to talk about this."

"Thanks for sharing this with me."

"Anytime."

The two eventually went to a fork at the path.

"My place is to the right."

While Kaneki and Rize went to the right path at the fork, Touka was walking by with a friend of hers from school. She sees the two without them noticing.

"Something wrong, Touka?"

"It's nothing."

The couple eventually made it to Rize's place.

"Well, this is my stop. Thanks for walking with me."

"No problem. We should…"

Rize was curious to what Kaneki was going to say.

"We should do this again sometime. I mean, if you want to…"

"Yeah. Why not? We both love books, and I would like to see you paint in your studio again. Truth is… I've had my eye on you as well."

"Wait, really?"

Rize walked closer to Kaneki. Real closer.

"It's the way you've looked at me. It made me feel…wanted."

This made Kaneki elated. To know that he made someone feel the same way he wanted to feel for a long time.

"You mean it?"

"Yeah. I want you in the same way you want me."

For one moment, Kaneki felt at peace with himself. As if he could finally be free from the emptiness that was gnawing inside him since he could remember. Unfortunately, that feeling would quickly fade away when he saw crimson particles forming into something hideous. Then, a crimson appendage formed so close to his right eye. Rize's eyes turned black and red and she opened her mouth wide. Before she could bite, she felt something pierce her skin. She felt an injury occurring on the left side of her mid-body. Rize stumbles backwards in pain for a little while. Which was enough time for Kaneki to run as fast as he could. Rize eventually healed, and although she was initially mad, seeing Kaneki run for his life made her feel thrilled.

"Run all you like, Kaneki!"

She laughs like a madwoman while giving chase by using her appendages to chase Kaneki. Doing so made her catch up to him. Rize kept on laughing as she continued to chase Kaneki to a nearby construction site. Seeing the fear on Kaneki's face gave her a sense of ecstasy, seeing how much power she had over him. Playing the role of the meek girl falling for the lovable loser amused her to no end. She finally lands straight in front of him, and Kaneki instantly ran in the other direction to escape her.

"You can't run from me, silly."

Rize grabs ahold of one of Kaneki's legs with her appendages and slams him to the ground. Then she uses all of her appendages to limit Kaneki's movements. Rize enjoyed how he was in fear for his life.

"You know, Kaneki. There is something I enjoy more than books. Seeing my prey look at me with pure terror. It's the greatest joy."

Rize laughs menacingly for a second.

"But you didn't let take a bite."

She then speaks like the meek girl she acted before.

"You're not gonna let a girl go hungry tonight, are ya?!"

Rize then takes a big bite out of Kaneki, which made him yell out in pain over having a piece of himself forcefully chomped out of him. Kaneki tried to run, but the appendages were too strong at the moment to escape from. While Rize was mindful as to not let Kaneki go, it still did not stop her from savoring the taste of his flesh and blood. At first, she drowned herself in pleasure in eating a piece of his body. Until she stopped. She had a look on her face that said ' _what did I put in my mouth?_ ' Rize moved what she bit out of Kaneki in her mouth, like how someone would move wine in their mouths to fully determine whether or not they liked it. The taste felt off to her for some season. Kaneki at first was confused about this, but later realized that this was the opportunity he needed. He moved his head as backwards as he could. Rize notices this but before she could do anything, Kaneki headbutted her. This resulted in her accidentally swallowing up the piece of Kaneki's flesh she bit. Kaneki escaped from Rize's grip over him. He looks at her with further confusion, but the fear still remained. Rize was coughing hard, attempting to spit out whatever she swallowed. Sadly, she couldn't. She then speaks in an angry and spiteful manner.

"You taste horrible!"

She spits a little more.

"Seriously, the last time I had flesh this bad was when I…"

Rize looked at shock when she saw Kaneki's shoulder starting to heal itself. Kaneki breathed a little then as the wound regenerated. Now collected, Kaneki then took out something he made a conscious decision to hide for personal reasons. Something that only two people know about. The doctor who helped him with his amnesia and Hide. Rize looked at what emerged from the back of his hands.

"Metal claws…"

Rize now felt angrier than she felt before.

"YOU'RE A F***ING MUTANT!"

She launched her appendages towards Kaneki with swift brutality. She struck Kaneki with attacks motivated by rage.

"The last time I ate a mutant was when it thought it could have its way with me. I killed that prick fast! Too bad he tasted like shit!"

She grouped the appendages together into deal a killing blow, which she successfully landed on Kaneki. Little did she know that her attacks were so powerful that it caused some already frail iron wires to weaken. Rize looked at Kaneki as his clothes were almost soaked with his blood.

"Tch. With those claws of yours, I thought you'd put up more of a fight."

She then sees the blows she dealt to Kaneki start to regenerate themselves. Rize began to feel disrespected by him.

"Let's see how much punishment you can take."

Rize's appendages struck Kaneki some more with rapid succession. She dealt so many strikes towards Kaneki that her impacts started to make the site shake. She did not notice at first that a bunch of steel beams hovering above both her and Kaneki. When the beams started to make some noise, she looked up to see the metal ropes snap one by one until the whole pile started to fall on the two of them. She dodged as fast as she could, leaving Kaneki behind. When the beams landed, she managed to get out of the way unscathed. Kaneki, however, did not. Rize looked at how she dodged from what could have killed her.

"Oh well. Better you than me, freak."

Rize laughed a little before something else happened. First, she heard noises that sounded like metal clashing against each other. Then, she saw metal claws slicing through the steel beams like a hot knife through butter. The same steel claws that emerged from the back of Kaneki's hand. Rize was further surprised by this. The claws sliced through the beams before the teared sections were instantly knocked down by a foot busting out of the fallen pile. Kaneki got out and possessed a blank look on his face, accompanied by his eyes looking completely white. Rize was on her guard as she felt that the fight wasn't completely over between them. Kaneki then gave a loud primal roar. It was deep and, for Rize, terrifying. Before she could act, Kaneki quickly stabbed her in the gut. She couldn't see how fast he was moving. How Kaneki could move at such speeds. In his rage-driven state, Kaneki was practically unaware at what was happening.

xxxxxx

In his state of mind, it felt like he was drowning in water. Although he could hear voices outside of himself speaking over him, in his mind, he was only focused on one thing.

" _What's happening? Where am I? I thought I was on a date… with Rize._ "

"Prepare for organ transplant!"

"We need permission from next of kin!"

" _Transplant? Next of kin? What are they talking about?_ "

In his underwater mindscape, the depths were redder than blue with Rize emerging from the deep red. However, as soon as Rize got close, a blue-gloved hand reached out for Kaneki. It spoke to him.

 _Take my hand! Don't let her reach you!_

The voice spoke in a gruff manner. At first Kaneki was confused by what he meant, only to turn around to see Rize swimming towards him with her crimson appendages sticking out of her back. This made Kaneki remember what had happened and swam for the surface as fast as he could. He finally grabbed the hand that reached out to him. For some reason, it felt warm and familiar.

xxxxxx

Kaneki woke up in an unlit hospital room. Although he was conscious, his body was wrecked with fatigue. He looked around to see nobody around him. He decided to sleep some more. Although he did not know it, Kaneki had a black and red eye on his right eye socket. Later on, one of the nurses checking up on him saw him waking up. He would then be given something to eat. He takes a bite of the hospital food given to him, but when he took a bite, it felt disgusting to him for some reason.

" _No matter how much I want to, I can't eat it._ "

"Mr. Kaneki. The doctor would like to see you now."

"How are you feeling, Kaneki?"

Kaneki heard a familiar voice speaking to him.

"Doctor Kanou?"

"Long time no see, kid."

"I didn't know you still worked here. Last time I read your name, you went to… New York?"

"True, I did work there for a while. Also, I saw your friend earlier. He wanted to visit you, but you were sleeping during that time."

"I see."

"Anyhow, came by to tell you that you're just fine. Although, that's not surprising given your mutant abilities."

"Yeah, my abilities…"

"Just one question, Kaneki. What caused you to be in such an accident?"

Kaneki looked down to remember how he was in a construction site with steel beams piled up on him.

"I…don't remember much. Sorry, Dr. Kanou."

"Well…let's do a check-up."

After an hour, Dr. Kanou finished with Kaneki, giving him the result.

"The nurses say you haven't been eating much, but from what I can tell, you're doing fine."

"I do feel okay. It's just my sense of taste. For some reason, food feels so…off to me."

"Off how?"

"It tastes disgusting for some reason."

"Probably from psychological trauma. It'll probably take a while before all your senses are back to normal."

"You think so?"

"Don't rush yourself, lad. Time heals all wounds, so just back to your regular routine."

"Thank you."

"Now, before I discharge you, I'd like to catch up regarding your memories."

"My memories?"

"The ones involving your past, as it were."

"Right."

Kaneki spent one more day in the hospital to discuss with Dr. Kanou bout what new memories involving his past resurfaced since the two's last meeting. Kaneki mentioned that his graffiti art has helped him in regaining what he forgot due to mysterious circumstances beyond his control. He manifested them in his graffiti as a means to cement what they looked like and, by doing do, would provide a starting point towards regaining more memories of his past. All this impressed Dr. Kanou.

xxxxxx

(The next day)

Kaneki was finally released from the hospital with Dr. Kanou and the nurses seeing him off.

" _Ever since that day with Rize, everything that happened before felt like a bad nightmare that I wanted to put behind me. It feels like things will never get back to normal. And I have a very good reason why._ "

Kaneki eventually made it back to his apartment building. He sees a plastic bag full of food with a note from Hide attached to it. He reads it, then falls to his bed to sleep. Three hours later, he wakes up and turns on the TV. He flips through the channel until he found a live interview of an expert on ghoul physiology. He shares his views on the binge-eater that was on the news lately. But what caught Kaneki's attention were how can you tell who is a ghoul.

"Let me ask you this, Mr. Ogura. Why can't ghouls be satisfied with the food humans and mutants eat?"

"To put it simply, their genetic makeup makes so they can only derive nutrition from human flesh. Eating anything else can be detrimental to them. Mutants, although possessing superhuman abilities, still possess DNA no different from their human counterparts. Hence, why they can get nutrition from plants and cows, like us. But to ghouls, our food tastes disgusting to them. Their taste buds work differently from ours."

Those last words stuck to Kaneki in a haunting way. He feared that that he may have become something different. Something terrifying. He opened the bag of food Hide got for him and starts to eats it. At first bite of the hamburger in the bag, he hated it. His body rejected the taste so much, he rushed to the toilet to vomit it out.

" _No…_ "

Kaneki binged-ate the food that Hide brought him, but at every first bite only compelled him to puke it out. Then, he went for the food in his refrigerator, only to be met the same result. He kneeled at all fours at first numb to the idea of him becoming a ghoul, but when he saw his favorite burger steak still fresh in its package, he imagined himself enjoying it again like he used to. But Kaneki wan not so stupid as to believe it would happen again. He knew he couldn't eat it anymore, and that brought him to tears. On the following day, spent nearly all of it on his bed, wallowing in despair over what he had now become. He checked his phone for any new messages from Hide. He found a voice message and played it.

"Hey Kaneki, you doing ok? I found out that Sen Taka-what's her name is doing a book signing today at the bookstore in front of the station. Call back if you're up to it."

Although emotionally and existentially exhausted, Kaneki gets up from his bed and heads to the bookstore at the station. When he gets there, he finds out that the signing as over, which gave him disappointment. He walks back home through the crowded streets of Shibuya. While in the crowd, his stomach growls. Then he starts to sniff around to find discover something rather macabre: humans smelled delicious all of a sudden.

" _People…people…people…made of flesh…_ "

More voices spoke inside of him, but they all said the same thing.

" _FLESH!_ "

Kaneki looked for the nearest alleyway to get away from people. If his worst fears were honestly true, he was a danger to humans. He keeps on walking until he sees a window. Kaneki looks at his reflection, only to see his worst fears come true. He was now a ghoul. His left eye was black and red, just like a ghoul. He yells in anguish and slams his fist into the window. Kaneki then looks at his hand. If he cut himself, his hand would bleed for a while before he would heal himself. However, in this instance, there wasn't any damage to his skin. Kaneki then grabs ahold of a glass shard and lifts his shirt.

" _I know what's causing this._ "

Kaneki remembers some snippets of the conversation while he was in surgery. He also remembers another fact from that TV interview he watched yesterday.

' _Ordinary or hunting knives can't penetrate their skin._ '

" _If that's true, then this won't hurt at all!_ "

Kaneki plunged the glass shard straight into his body only for the shard to break completely without a scratch on his body. He kneels down, succumbing to further despair over what he was now.

" _Damn it. What the hell am I supposed to do now?_ "

He walks around further until he smelled something delicious.

" _What is that scent? I never smelled it before, but it feels so familiar._ "

He slowly ran to the source.

" _It's got this…sweet aroma to it. Like…cooking with a mother's touch. I could barely remember something like that, and yet…the feeling is so unforgettable._ "

Kaneki ran faster to the source.

" _I've finally found something to eat!_ "

The closer he got, the more he ran. Uncaring about the obstacles in his way.

"So close, so close…"

His mouth waters in anticipation. Finally, he makes it only to discover another ghoul. Feasting on a dead person. Kaneki went from relieved to terrified. He finally knows the source of the scent that signaled an end to the hunger only to reinforce the that he was not mutant anymore.

" _No…no… a human…a ghoul…that sweet smell that got me here was a corpse all along?_ "

When Kaneki kneeled to the ground, it startled the ghoul. He sees Kaneki weeping for some reason.

"Hey. You all right? It okay. I'm Kazuo. I haven't eaten in a while, so I can't share too much. But…"

Before Kazuo could finish his sentence, another person arrived to kill Kazuo by dropping a heel kick unto his head and slamming it to the ground. This greatly shocked Kaneki.

"Good riddance."

The person was a male with orange hair, glasses, wearing a sweater and jeans, and had a medium build. He possessed a certain kind of arrogance to him.

"He should've known better than to trespass on my feeding grounds."

He then sees Kaneki with a scared look on his face.

"Never saw you before. And only one of your eyes is red. That's weird."

Kaneki was then grabbed by the neck, and the person revealed himself to be a ghoul. And looking mad while doing it.

"You think you can hunt for food on my turf and get away from it?"

Although struggling, Kaneki attempted to explain himself.

"I'm not. I'm just passing through, I swear."

"You think I believe that. Tell me, when you see your girlfriend naked and lying on the ground, and the guy with his pants around his ankles next to her, and says something like 'it's not what it looks like,' would your first instinct is to believe him?"

The male ghoul tightened his grip on Kaneki's neck.

"Because it's not what I would do. The next time I see you on my territory, I will f***ing kill you."

A female voice was heard by the both of them.

"This isn't your territory!"

It was eventually revealed to be Touka as she leapt down from the roof to the alleyway.

"That means he wasn't trespassing, Nishiki. Let him go."

Nishiki did so.

"Touka. Don't see what's the problem. The binge eating bitch is dead."

"And how does this make the area here your feeding ground? You don't get final say to how the territory gets divided with the weaker ghouls. Just leave the matter with Anteiku."

Nishiki scoffed at the idea.

"I don't know the reason why we have to leave with you tight asses from Anteiku. I'm just taking back what's mine."

"Yeah, because it was just so easy for Rize to kick your ass."

"You know, I don't like being talked back to by a smart-mouthed kid like you. You're starting to piss me off."

"You think I'm scared?"

"You should be."

Nishiki and Touka began to fight. Both moved at high speeds, but Touka was faster than him.

At first, Nishiki was untouched.

"Is that all you got?"

"Wait for it."

Suddenly, wounds began to appear around Nishiki's legs, left side and arm.

"I don't mind going harder next time."

Knowing he was outmatched but too proud to admit it, he ran. Touka expected this from Nishiki, but was disappointed all the same.

"What, you're just leaving your food behind?"

She then looks at Kaneki, who had a look of utter disbelief, not knowing about his situation. Touka lifts the dismembered arm and offers it to Kaneki.

"You want this?"

At first Kaneki reaches out for it, but then restrains himself.

"What, you're not eating?"

(Play _TK from Ling Toshite Sigure - Unravel_ )

She sees him crying, but does not know why.

"Whoa, only one your eyes have changed. That's crazy."

Touka then remembers seeing Kaneki with someone.

"Wait, you're the guy that was with Rize."

Kaneki was torn apart with himself.

"Why didn't she eat you? And what's with your eye?"

"Please, miss. You have to help me. I know you might find this hard to believe, but I just became a ghoul yesterday."

"Wait, yesterday? How?"

"And I really want to eat that."

Kaneki was slowly giving in to the newly established ghoul instinct to eat human flesh.

"But I know I can't. Because if I do, I won't be myself anymore."

"If you're that hungry, then just eat."

"I CAN'T! NO WAY! NO WAY! NO WAY! There's no way I can another person's flesh! I can't be a ghoul. Not if it means living like this! I DON'T WANT TO KILL TO EAT!"

Touka didn't know what to make of Kaneki's rant.

"This is stupid. Why don't you give in already?"

She goes to the corpse and takes a chunk of it with her own hands.

"Since you don't have the nerve to eat it on your own, then let me help you."

Touka then forces Kaneki to eat the pound of flesh.

"Go on! Eat it!"

By instinct, Kaneki extends his claws from his knuckles into the open. Touka sees them and instantly backs off. Kaneki then spits out what Touka forced into his mouth. Touka sees what he meant. She knows that Kaneki was a mutant turned into a ghoul for some reason.

"WHY DID YOU DO THAT TO ME?! I DON'T WANT TO EAT OTHER PEOPLE'S FLESH! I DON'T WANT TO BE A MONSTER!"

Touka grabs Kaneki and beats him up. He tries to fight back by using his claws, but Touka dodges the swipes easily and continues to beat on him until he was finally down.

"So, If I'm a monster, then what does that make you?"

Kaneki felt pain on all levels.

"Please, I don't know what to do. I can't go back to how my life used to be. Ever since that day, my life's gotten worse."

"Yeah, I can imagine how much that can suck. But I don't know about pitying you though. I've always wondered how humans can like something like cake. The taste is so god-awful that it makes wanna puke. And yet, the rest of you humans and mutants can't get enough of it."

Touka sees the dismembered head and toys with it for a while.

"You know you mutants used to have it just as hard as us ghouls right now. The humans only accept you guys because one of you discovered our existence and only you people can hurt and even kill us ghouls with your powers. You have a peaceful life…"

Touka then proceeds to beat on Kaneki to further express her anger towards mutants.

"BECAUSE I WAS DENIED MINE! You think your life sucks right now?! TOUGH SHIT! Because this is the only life I've ever known, AND IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF YOU! YOU AND EVERYONE ONE LIKE YOU!"

Touka stopped pulling her punches and proceeded to beat up on Kaneki until he was unconscious. And even then, Touka would still beat him up until she was stopped by a certain elderly man.

"That's enough, Touka. He's down. You were taught better than that."

"But Yoshimura…"

"I saw almost everything. I may not know how it started, but I could certainly tell where it was going."

Touka looked at Kaneki unconscious, laying down on the ground. She felt somewhat guilty for beating up on someone when they were down.

"Bring him to Anteiku. He'll be needing guidance."

 **And that was the first (official) chapter. Happy new year! What better way to start than finishing a fan-fic that you would like to read more of? Probably a lot of things, that that's gotta be in the list somewhere. Kaneki's character is changed somewhat. Since he is Wolverine's son (but he doesn't know it), his berserker rage is a part of him. The reason why I made him a graffiti artist was an idea I just came up with. Where he got the idea will be explained in a future chapter.** **As will as Touka's hatred for mutants.** **I will be posting a new chapter before the end of the month. I'm currently working on my second light novel. Even though I will be busy, I will update on this fan-fic in the near future. In the meantime, if you like what you read, please share this with friends and leave a review for either praise or questions. I will accept both. Have a very happy new year, and fingers crossed that it won't be dumpster fire of suck. 'Til next time.**


	3. Ch 2

**Hello readers. We're on the second chapter. You wouldn't be here if you didn't like it. This chapter will cover how Kaneki is handling his new life as a ghoul. It doesn't go well. His mutant DNA is colliding with ghoul DNA so bad. How bad? Read to find out.**

Ch. 2 – Turmoil

Kaneki woke up on a couch in an unfamiliar room. Groggy from what happened before, he slowly got up from the couch. At first, he was confused as to where he was.

" _What happened? And why do I feel so hungry?_ "

Kaneki then remembers the events from yesterday.

" _Oh right. I'm not a mutant anymore. I'm a ghoul now._ "

He then remembers how resisted devouring the flesh of humans. How he pushed himself to his limits, more mental than physical, to stop himself from acting like ghoul. He then remembers how Touka, the girl Hide harassed at Anteiku, was a ghoul herself and how she kicked his hard. All because he refused to eat human flesh, how he called her a monster by association, and that she possessed a certain anger towards mutants. All in all, Kaneki couldn't be what he used to be anymore. He couldn't eat regular food anymore.

" _My life has now reached new levels of suck right now._ "

He then heard the door open to reveal Yoshimura. Kaneki half-remembers him as he saw the man in the coffee shop time to time, but he never learned who he was exactly.

"Ah. You're awake. Please join me downstairs."

Kaneki followed him downstairs to discover that he was In Anteiku, the coffee shop he regularly goes to. He then sees Yoshimura preparing coffee.

"Please have a seat, young man."

Kaneki took a seat at the coffee bar, and watched him prepare coffee with expert care. When Yoshimura was half-way done, Kaneki asked him a question.

"Why did you bring me here?"

"It's Anteiku's policy to help our fellow ghouls in their time of need."

Yoshimura was just about done with preparing the coffee with Touka sitting on a nearby table with a bored looking expression on her face.

"Well, even though it took a while, it's finally done. Please, have some."

Still feeling depressed, Kaneki looked at the coffee cup with hesitation.

"What's the matter? Not partial to coffee?"

"I actually love it. It's just…"

"Kaneki, right?"

"Yes sir."

"Look at the cup in front of you. Does it look strange?"

"No. It looks actually delicious."

"Then why don't you give it a try?"

Remembering all the times he attempted to eat the food he used to eat and failed, Kaneki summoned up what was left of his strength to drink the cup of coffee Yoshimura offered him, bracing himself for the possible soul-crushing disappointment he felt that was ahead of him. He took a sizable gulp. From that first sip, he proved himself wrong as he then drank more of the coffee he was given. When he finished, tears streamed down his face. These tears expressed not despair, but joy as he believed that there was no hope for him as a ghoul.

"It's…It's so delicious."

Kaneki wiped the tears from his face.

"It tastes so good. But everytime I try to eat food, it tastes horrible."

"It's hard to swallow, but it's true. Coffee is the only thing that humans, mutants, and ghouls enjoy equally. However, it's not enough to satisfy our hunger."

Yoshimura took out a brown bag out from his pocket and on the bar, near Kaneki. Touka was mildly surprised seeing this.

"What is that?"

"When you need more, don't hesitate to come back. There's more where that came from."

Kaneki took the brown envelope and exited Anteiku. Yoshimura then sets up shop of the day with Touka helping him.

"I don't get why you decided to help him."

"I understand your feelings toward mutants, Touka."

"That Xavier guy basically put a target on every ghoul's back when he shared his 'discovery.'"

"But consider this: do you remember the news story concerning an emergency organ transplant a few days ago?"

Touka took a moment to think.

"Maybe."

"A bunch of steel girders fell at a construction site near Kami university, and two students were caught underneath them. The doctor in this situation took the organs of the deceased girl and transferred them to the young man who was hanging on to life by a thread."

"Oh yeah. I remember that. Who was the girl?"

"Rize Kamishiro."

"Wait, he was the guy?"

"Yes. He had ghoul organs transplanted into him. The genetic code within those organs have overwritten his mutant DNA. What's worse…"

"Yoshimura?"

"I had someone to look into the hospital to find out what they did with Rize's body."

"And?"

"It's missing. Some have even said that they saw her leaving the hospital alive."

"No way…"

"I fear Kaneki's life is changing. In more ways than anyone could imagine. I feel that I must do what I can to navigate what he will be going through."

xxxxxx

Kaneki made it back to his apartment safely. He changed from the clothes he wore before into his pajamas. He tried to sleep, but the growls of his stomach got in the way of that. He attempted to get his mind off the hunger, but one word repeated in his mind.

" _FLESH!_ "

He tried so hard to get the word flesh out of his mind so hard, but the hunger was too overwhelming for him. It was then that a hallucination of Rize appeared before him, speaking to him.

"Why are you freaking out about becoming like me? I don't think it really matters. So what if you're not a mutant anymore? What's so great about them anyways? They taste so bad, it's disgusting. Like you used to be. All that matters is that you're still you. So, make the most of being a ghoul."

The hallucination embraced Kaneki, which made him freak out even further.

"What's stopping you? There's a lot of human flesh out there just ripe for the picking. You'll find just how wonderful it tastes once it gets in your mouth. It'll put any-"

Rize was soon stabbed in the head by metal claws, but not Kaneki's. Rize would soon disappear, only to be met by a mutant. One of the most famous of the X-men. He looked at Kaneki with a disappointing look.

"You're really gonna let that bitch torment you?"

Although he was two inches shorter than him, Kaneki was nevertheless awestruck that he was hallucinating the Wolverine, standing in front of him.

"You're in pain. I can see that. But this is what you are now. You can hate it all you like…"

Wolverine looks at the brown envelope that Yoshimura gave him, as did Kaneki.

"But you gotta do what you gotta do to survive. That's what I did."

Wolverine then faced Kaneki.

"And some of those things haunted me. And I had to live it. Now, so do you."

Kaneki slowly walked towards the brown envelope. He holds it with his own hands, internally debating whether or not to eat human flesh. If he were still mutant, then it would be considered a hate crime for a mutant to engage in cannibalism. On the other hand, now he was a ghoul, his moral compass had shifted to a new direction. Before he would open the envelope, his cell phone rang. He ultimately decided to throw away the envelope and not eat what was inside it, knowing the consequences it would bring.

xxxxxx

Kaneki went back to college after three days absence. He was brought back by both his need to get his mind off his personal existential crisis with his art and Hide. Hide was first in his mind as he sent him a text offering his Asian history note to Kaneki. He smiled a little knowing Hide was not that good at note taking. As Kaneki headed towards his art studio, someone was running towards him at a fast rate. Kaneki could smell the person, and turns around find Hide performing an awkward run. This weirded him out.

"KANEKI! Where the hell you've been, jerk?!"

Hide briefly tackled Kaneki, which made him almost lose his balance.

"Seriously, man. Do you know how hard it's been for me? If you didn't come back, I would've been dead. The cause: LONLINESS!"

"I'm sorry, man. I'm…going through a lot of things right now."

"Hey, what's with the eyepatch? Is that a fashion trend or are you finally becoming a chunibyo?"

"Ha ha."

Said Kaneki in a sarcastic voice. Despite that remark, Kaneki valued Hide for being his only friend. While Hide talked about what went on in college since Kaneki was absent, Kaneki remembered when he was about 12 or 13 when he "first" met Hide. Hide claimed to have known Kaneki when they were kids. Due to his amnesia, he didn't know where he was born or who raised him. Hide however remembered going to elementary school with him. At first, Kaneki was annoyed with him, but Hide proved himself to be a good person. The kind any decent person would want to be friends with. As such, when the two reached their first year at high school, Kaneki showed Hide his metal claws. Needless to say, Hide was excited to see them, but respected Kaneki's wish to not to show them too much. How Hide acted around Kaneki would persist, even to this day. As Hide felt that Kaneki was not listening to him, he proceeded to shake him in order to get his attention.

"Hello! Earth to Kaneki! Are you even paying any attention to me, man?!"

"Sorry. You were saying something?"

Hide pouts as Kaneki was distracted for some reason.

"Anyways, you headed for your studio?"

"Yeah. Wanted to get back to doing what I love."

"Who would've thought that me showing you the works of Banksy back in high school would get you someplace?"

Hide had a smug look on his face to which Kaneki jokingly pushes him. The two laughed at how stupid they were acting.

"Well, before we do that, I gotta pick up some materials from Nishio. He's an upperclassman. A bit snarky, but cool all the same."

"Sure, okay."

"By the way, I don't wanna pry, but are you eating right?"

Kaneki stiffed when Hide asked him that question.

"You're just looking a bit pale. That's not a good sign."

"Right."

As Hide continued forward, Kaneki internally remarked on Hide's natural instincts.

" _It's just as I thought. You can't get anything past Hide. It was only a matter of time before he could get an accurate read on me. He's got a hyper-sensitivity that makes it feel like he's knows what I'm gonna feel before I even feel it. But he pretends that everything's fine. For my sake._ "

As Kaneki followed Hide, one thought came to his mind that made his transition from mutant to ghoul really painful.

" _What really hurts me right now is that if I fully become a ghoul, I have to stop having to be friends with him._ "

The two made to the campus building where Nishio works.

"Thanks for making this stop with me. I think you'll get along with him."

"Who? Nishio?"

"Yeah. Like I said, he can be snarky, but cool. Just give him a chance. Sure, he's got this dark and mysterious vibe, but I think that's part of his charm."

"If he's got your glowing recommendation, I just might."

As the two made it to the room where they were going to meet Nishio, Hide opened the door without knocking.

"What's up, Nishio…?!"

The two found Nishio in a compromising position with a girl on his chair. The girl shrieked and instantly ran. Kaneki looked at Hide with a deadpan look on his face.

"There. Now you know the value of knocking."

"You should try it sometime, Nagachika."

Hide was embarrassed by what he did.

"Sorry. I did it without thinking."

"That's kind of his thing."

"Ouch, man."

"Yeah, tell me about it. Nothing disrespects me more than someone pissing on my territory."

Kaneki instantly recognized both that voice and sentence. Kaneki instantly recognized Nishio as Nishiki and vice-versa.

"So, this is my friend, Kaneki. The one I told you from before."

Nishio got up from his chair and introduced himself to Kaneki.

"Nishiki Nishio. 2nd year pharmacy student."

He extended his hand to Kaneki.

"Nice to meet you, Kaneki."

"L-L-Likewise."

Kaneki felt a twinge of fear over the fact that this particular ghoul was friends with Hide as he shook hands with him. Nishio then went to the bookshelf to fetch something for Hide.

"You wanted last year's numbers, right?"

"Yeah, but I only needed the retail data."

"Wish I could remember where I put it. Wait…"

Nishiki snapped his fingers.

"I left it at home."

"For real, man?"

"I don't live that far. We could walk over there right now."

"To your place?"

"Is that a problem?"

Hide mulled it over for a while before giving his answer.

"Hey Kaneki. You can go on ahead. I'll catch up with you later."

Kaneki imagined Nishio using his ghoul abilities on Hide. The thought instantly made Kaneki fear for Hide's life.

"Uh…You don't if I tag along right?"

Nishio was surprised by this. As was Hide.

"Uh, dude?"

"Well, it's like you said. We haven't hung out much lately."

Nishio got up from his chair and grabbed his coat.

"Sure, that's fine."

His phone then rang before he could get to the door.

"Hang on. I gotta take this."

As Nishio answered his phone, Hide silently talked to Kaneki.

"What's your deal, man?"

"Nothing. I'm fine."

"You sure about that?"

Nishio then asked Hide,

"You see anything?"

Hide was confused by that question.

"It's my girlfriend."

Hide awkwardly responded with an apology.

"Sorry. If it's any consolation…"

Kaneki was in thought as to why ghouls are more prominent in his life now.

" _It's beginning to feel like there are more ghouls around me than before. No…There were always ghouls around. And it's not just me. They're around Hide, as well as every other human or mutant. The only reason why I didn't see that is because I wasn't a part of their world before._ "

xxxxxx

As the trio walked through the city, Nishio stopped by a food stand that served taiyaki.

"You guys want some?"

Hide accepted the offer.

"Sure."

The owner of the taiyaki stand says to the two,

"You're in luck. I just made a fresh batch."

Kaneki looked with a surprised look on his face to see Nishio wanting to eat taiyaki. He bought three so he could give them to Hide and Kaneki.

"Here you go."

Attempting to cover his disgust, Kaneki reluctantly takes the taiyaki.

" _I think I wanna puke._ "

While Hide ate his with no problem, Nishio asked Kaneki a question.

"So, you in any clubs, Kaneki?"

"My…my work keeps me busy."

"Really? What work?"

"He's an aspiring graffiti artist. The school gave him his own studio and everything."

"Seriously?"

"I…"

Kaneki stopped as soon as he saw Nishio taking a bite of his taiyaki without being revulsed by it.

"I was just as shocked as you are right now."

Kaneki snapped himself back to normal as to evade Hide's sharp senses.

"Besides, I don't do well in large groups."

"Sounds like you got the opposite problem as you buddy does."

Nishio took another bite.

" _More than one bite?! What the f***?_ "

"Man, this is really good."

"Tell me about it. Nice and crispy. The way it should be."

Hide sees Kaneki not eating his taiyaki.

"What's up, man? Not gonna eat it?"

"Uh…maybe later."

As the trio walked "towards" Nishio's place, Kaneki put together as to how he could evade any suspicions that he could be a ghoul.

" _It's crazy. He's got no problem blending in. Probably because he can play the college student so effortlessly. It's kind of impressive._ "

Kaneki sees Nishio turn around to suddenly kick Hide into an alleyway with a force of a speeding truck.

"HIDE!"

Kaneki looks at Nishio with a mix of shock and anger.

"He doesn't need to see or hear this. I mean, I thought I was the only ghoul on campus. But here you are. Smelling like a female ghoul."

Nishio grabbed Kaneki by the neck and slammed him against the steel gate. Kaneki struggled to escape from his grip, but Nishio was too strong.

"I know what you're doing. You're were gonna eat Nagachika, weren't you? Wouldn't blame you. There's nothing better than the feeling of power when some idiot trusts you with his life, only to see them in anguish when you shatter that trust completely. That's what you were doing with him, right Kaneki?!"

Although struggling to breathe, Kaneki managed to say a few words.

"No…Not like you…"

"Is that right?"

Nishio briefly let go of Kaneki only to pierce him through the chest.

"One of the things that pisses me off is those who don't even respect their elders. Look at you. You don't even have any…"

Nishiki stopped gloating when he saw Kaneki's wound undoing what he had done to him. After that Kaneki coughed up blood, then got up. Needless to say, this made Nishio angrier than before.

"Another thing that pisses me off is when disrespectful kids like you don't stay down…"

Nishio's eyes became black and red.

"WHEN THEY'RE TOLD TO!"

Nishio gave a series of punches to Kaneki to the point where he finally got him to stay down. Although it tired him a little, Nishio was satisfied.

"You took a little longer than I liked. Ugh, so queasy."

Nishio started to feel the piece of taiyaki he ate starting to enter his body.

"How do these humans eat this stuff? Maybe this is why mutant flesh is so gross to taste. Least that's what I heard. Either way, it's disgusting. It's like eating horse shit."

Nishio dug his hand into his throat to induce vomiting. He did so near Hide, who was still unconscious. Kaneki used whatever strength he had left to try to save Hide from Nishio. He heard him approaching from behind to save his friend.

"Sorry about that. Hope I didn't ruin your meal."

Nishio placed his foot on Hide's head.

"You two known each other for a long time. He calls you his best friend. So tell me, when were gonna take a bite out of him?"

Nishio then lightly stomped on Hide a couple of times.

"Don't you think you've waited long enough? What part. Do. You. Want. To. Eat. First?"

Nishio stomped Hide's head with every word in that question. Kaneki tried to say something, but was too weak to stand, let alone talk.

"What's that Kaneki? DID YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING?!"

Kaneki then ran to Nishio and attempted to attack him with his schoolbag. Nishio laughed at this, and gave Kaneki a swift and powerful kick.

"Attacking me with your bag? WHAT ARE YOU, AN OLD LADY?!"

Kaneki practically flew across the ground, exhausted by nit just by the force of Nishio's attacks, but also his low energy due to not eating anything. Nishio then kneeled close to Kaneki's level.

"Get a clue, Kaneki. Humans are not your friends. They're your prey. They're nothing more to us than what cows and pigs mean to them. So, do yourself a favor. Stop pretending to be his friend and just eat him already."

Kaneki felt something rising inside of him. It gave him the energy to speak, even when Nishio gave him a through beating that left him weaker than he was.

"He's honestly my friend. You're just too much of a conceited asshole to understand that."

Angered by that remark, Nishio lifted Kaneki by his hair.

"Don't think that being around Nagachika won't prove itself risky. Guy isn't that smart, but possessed some wicked instincts to make up for it. Not to mention this."

Nishio removed the eyepatch that covered his ghoul eye.

"You can't even control your eye."

He then threw him to the ground. Kaneki got up one more time to try to fight Nishio, but all he could do was give punches that did not even land on him.

"Seriously, is that all you got?"

Nishio then punched Kaneki some more.

"You think you can protect Nagachika like that?!"

He then threw Kaneki to a nearby wall.

"You honestly believe that he'll accept you as a ghoul?"

Hopelessness began to overcome Kaneki as he laid on the ground, almost passing out without giving Nishio much of a fight.

" _I can't beat him. No matter how hard I try, I just…can't…_ "

In that moment, Kaneki felt himself diving into the recesses of his mind as everything started to go black.

xxxxxx

Kaneki found himself standing on top of water. Above him was a blue sky with clouds passing by. He looked around to see the Wolverine again. He wore his X-men uniform, which was a spandex suit that was mostly blue on the side and yellow in the middle while wearing a belt with a red buckle adorning a golden X.

"Stand up!"

Kaneki was confused as to what Wolverine was saying. He got closer to him and grabbed Kaneki by his shirt collar.

"Your best friend is in trouble, isn't he? Do something about it!"

"But…but…"

"BUT NOTHING!"

Wolverine threw Kaneki to the watery floor.

"You have something that can save him. Something that can hurt that pretentious dick who just kicked your ass, don't you?!"

"But I don't know how to use them!"

"Of course you do."

Wolverine touched the top of his head and that made Kaneki remember the night he was with Rize. After he roared, he charged at Rize faster than she could see. Then he used both of his metal claws to dig into her. Rize was in total agony when she felt his claws tear into her. Kaneki rapidly ripped her apart as viciously as he could. He saw that Rize was not used to be at the mercy of someone who was more powerful than her. Kaneki could see that both the pain and humiliation were too much for her. She attempted to escape but was too weak from Kaneki's attacks. She laid on the ground, defeated and near death. Kaneki roared but then interrupted by a small dart piercing his neck which caused him to fall over moments later. He then went back to the mindscape he was in with Wolverine. As soon as he realized how he managed to escape from Rize, he was filled with more questions.

"Wait, who knocked me out? Was it the people who made me a ghoul in the first place?"

"That doesn't matter. You gotta get angry in order to kill the ghoul who's gonna kill your friend."

"I can't. I'm too weak."

"Yeah, because you didn't eat what that old guy gave you."

"I DON'T WANNA EAT HUMAN FLESH!"

Wolverine grabbed Kaneki by his shirt collar again and punched him.

"YOU DON'T HAVE A CHOICE! It's like I said before. You gotta do what you gotta do to survive."

"But…Hide is my best friend…"

Then another memory appeared before the two of them in their middle school years. Kaneki was by himself reading a book while Hide found him doing so.

(play _Missing you – Kingdom Hearts II_ )

"Hey."

Kaneki looked behind him to see Hide.

"Hide…"

"Why are always by yourself reading books at school?"

"Is that wrong?"

"Nah. You're fine. Actually, this is the second time I've seen you do that."

"Really?"

"That time, you were the new kid who came to Tokyo."

"I was?"

"Yeah. No one would approach you at first, but I did after seeing you at a place like this. I wanted to be your friend, you accepted, and you took me to your place. I met your mom at that time as well."

"My…mom…"

Tears streamed from Kaneki's face when he tried to remember his mother. Hide instantly regretted this.

"Whoa, sorry about that, man. Didn't know that was a sore subject."

"It's okay. Usually I could control it, but this time…"

"Look man, just forget it. The point is this. I want us to be friends again."

"We were friends last time?"

"Yeah. The best of them. Let me start. I'm Hideyoshi Nagachika. It's a mouthful, I know. So just call me Hide."

"Sure. I'm Ken Kaneki. At least, that's what I'm told."

(end music)

Seeing the memory play in front of him, Wolverine sensed that Kaneki was tormented by the idea that if he accepted being a ghoul, that would mean leaving Hide. The one person who actually cared for him. Wolverine sees this, sighed, let go of his shirt collar, and offered Kaneki an extreme solution.

"You hate being a ghoul that much?"

"Only because I don't want to treat Hide like prey. Or anyone else for that matter."

"Since you now remember what you did to that purple-haired bitch, then you should know this. Your claws were the only things that actually hurt her. Cut her. Penetrate her."

Kaneki could see what Wolverine was saying, but didn't believed he could pull it off due to his weakened state. Wolverine then placed his hand on Kaneki's shoulder. Kaneki looked at him back.

"Let me take over for you. I'll get it done. You can trust me."

Kaneki was initially nervous by the proposal, but knew that as he was, he could not do anything.

"Fine. Take over when I can't cut it. Help me save him. As well as… anyone else I can save."

Wolverine extended his hand forward.

"Deal."

Kaneki shook Wolverine's hand, and as soon as an agreement between the two was made, everything then turned to white.

xxxxxx

Nishio summoned his kagune. It was a slender blue and green tentacle with a sharp end. He played with it a little before setting up for the kill. Before he could do that, he heard a loud, animalistic roar from behind him. He saw Kaneki standing up with rage in his eyes. This shocked and annoyed him as he believed that he beat up Kaneki to the point of defeat.

"Don't you ever stay down, you little wimp?!"

"Not when it comes to assholes who treats my friends like dirt!"

Kaneki breathed heavily as he was still weak from hunger. Nishio commented on this.

"You can't do anything to me. Look at you! You can barely stand up!"

"I know. I'm so damn hungry, but I don't want to eat what you eat. So, I'm…"

Kaneki extended his metal claws from his knuckles. Nishio sees the claws with total disbelief and confusion.

" _He's a mutant? How did I miss that?_ "

"GONNA GET RID OF THE PROBLEM!"

Kaneki aimed the claws at his own body and tears through the skin of his gut and chest until his own organs were exposed to the world. Then he did something unthinkable. Something that would make lesser people puke at the sight of it. Kaneki was ripping out his own organs with his own two hands. Nishio looked at him with utter astonishment that he was essentially committing suicide. He knew that even though ghouls had some invulnerability, they were not invincible. Even ghouls would die if their own organs were being violently being ripped out of their own bodies. Kaneki eventually stopped as the act caused him to die. Nishio then calmed down.

"Damn. Never thought I'd see a mutant so eager to die. Oh well."

He then turned his attention to Hide.

"Let's see what you taste like, Nagachika."

Then Nishio heard a young, gruff voice.

"Sorry, bub. Cafeteria is closed"

Nishio turned around to see Kaneki standing upright, his ghoul eye formed, and with an angry look on his face. He also saw the gaping hole he made on his body completely healed up.

"But how?! Is it your mutant ability?!"

Kaneki then sped forward. Nishio initially believed towards him, but Kaneki passed him by for his school bag. Nishio sees him rustling through until he found the taiyaki Kaneki "saved" for later. He ate it up like a wild animal, and let out a small burp when he was finished.

"It ain't gonna fill my stomach, but it'll be enough for a prick like you."

Nishio was angrier than before and readied his kagune.

"Say that word again. I dare you!"

Kaneki crossed his arms like an X, and extended his claws from his knuckles.

 _SNIKT!_

"Prick."

Nishio lunged his kagune forward only for Kaneki to sidestep in the nick of time. Nishio was further annoyed by Kaneki and swiped his kagune like a madman trying to hit him. Kaneki was displaying skill and agility he never demonstrated before. This frustrated Nishio to the point of fury.

"DAMN IT! STAY STILL, FREAK!"

"Don't blame me if you suck at this."

Kaneki then ran towards Nishio and vice versa. Like with Touka, the two rushed pass each other. While Kaneki only had a cut on his cheek, Nishio felt deep cuts on his sides. Initially confused by the wound, he sees Kaneki's metal claws to find blood on them. He stiffened at the sight of his blood on a mutant's claws.

"You're really starting to piss me off!"

"And I should care why?"

Nishio extended his kagune to hit Kaneki but he moved his head slightly to dodge. Nishio retracted his kagune and sped towards to Kaneki, only to be dealt a punch to his face. This made Nishio fly back to a wall. The pain made his face cringe. He then saw Kaneki with a serious look on his face as he walked towards him. Nishio struggled to get up.

"Don't think you can beat me, freak!"

Kaneki continued towards Nishio.

"I'm gonna kill you, and then…I'M GONNA EAT YOUR BITCH-ASS FOOD!"

Kaneki now got mad, and charged towards Nishio. He went so fast that by the time Nishio realized it, one of Kaneki's claws already pierced him.

"He's my friend. You don't get to touch him."

Both the Irises of Kaneki's eyes faded from his eyes. His left eye turned completely white and his right turned completely black as his berserker rage kicked in. He roared a primal yell, then proceeded to shred Nishio with his claws. Like with Rize, his attacks were fast and vicious. With swift and wide strikes did Kaneki practically teared Nishio apart. Then he performed a double stabbing with his own arms. Nishio was severely weakened to the point where he seemed close to death.

"Damn you…freak…"

Nishio slumped to the ground. Kaneki then roared as loud as he could over his "victory." Then, he slowly walked towards Hide to try to help him. But the closer he got, the more his exhaustion seemed to kick in.

" _Can't sleep…Need to…see…Hide's…_ "

Finally, exhaustion consumed him and he fell to the ground.

xxxxxx

Kaneki instantly woke up on a familiar couch. He looked around to see a familiar room.

" _Am I back in Anteiku?_ "

He then sniffed something familiar.

" _Food? Wait…_ "

Kaneki felt his face to see if he ate Hide after all, and felt something gooey on his left cheek. At first, he feared that it would be blood, only to find it was mayonnaise.

" _Wait, is this…?_ "

He sniffed it and recognized what it was. What surprised him was that when he sniffed it, the mayonnaise on his face did not smell disgusting. Kaneki even licked it to confirm two things.

" _It is mayonnaise. And I just licked it…without puking my guts off!_ "

The door suddenly opened to reveal Yoshimura.

"Well, this is familiar."

"How did I…?"

"Touka found you and brought you back here."

"Where's my friend?"

"Follow me."

Yoshimura led Kaneki to where Hide was resting. He was relieved to see him in one piece. His eyes watered at the sight of Hide sleeping like he usually would. Kaneki then looks at himself to see the shirt he wore bearing many bloodstains.

"What happened?"

"You don't recall?"

"It's all a blur. I definitely remember Nishio kicking Hide into that alleyway and me barely fighting him. After that, all I remember is feeling pain. And rage."

Yoshimura thought about the possibility of Kaneki being afflicted by something.

"Then I woke, and I smelled food nearby. Human food. I discovered mayonnaise on my face and I didn't vomit it out after tasting it."

"Kaneki, I haven't been candid with you at the beginning. I asked Touka to keep an eye on you for the day. She was there when you fought against Nishiki. She says the way you fought was that of a veteran fighter with years of experience under his belt."

Kaneki could not believe what Yoshimura was telling him.

"However, this is the most shocking thing. She saw you ripping your own innards out of your body."

Now he felt staggering bewilderment at that last sentence. It was only softened by the fact of his mutant ability to heal himself.

"Whenever I would get a cut, it would heal itself quickly."

"Your mutant abilities, I presume?"

"Yeah. How did I…?"

"After Touka just brought you and Hide inside, you suddenly awoke. Then you sniffed around the café before heading to our food storage. However, you didn't go for our food reserves. Rather, you went for the food we serve to the customers."

"I did?"

"You ate everything you could get your hands on. Including the condiments."

Kaneki felt a little embarrassed at that last part.

"After that, you just went to sleep."

Kaneki took the story Yoshimura told him as fact. Relieved that, for some reason, he wasn't a ghoul anymore, how Touka described the fight between him and Nishiki compelled him to make a certain choice.

"Thank you for everything, Yoshimura. If Hide doesn't know anything, then you have my word that I will tell no one about you or any of the ghouls you have working here. I won't even come here anymore as proof of that."

"Why?"

Kaneki was confused by that question.

"I don't understand."

"It's not that I don't appreciate you for making such a promise. Rather, I just want to know. Why are you making that promise?"

After a brief moment of silence and thought, Kaneki gave his answer.

"I…don't remember anything from before I was 11 years old. Everything is a…absolute blank. That's why I feel…empty. And whenever I tried to remember something, it leads back to a memory that…has rage at first, then the sight and smell of blood, and finally sadness. It's not even fully formed and already I want to put it behind me. That's the reason why I…"

Kaneki slowly extended his claws from his knuckles.

"Don't want to show these to anybody."

He retracted his claws.

"I could tell that even though you are ghouls, you don't want to be defined by your…biological need to eat human flesh. You want to be more. That's why you don't want me around."

"And what makes you say that?"

What Kaneki didn't tell Yoshimura was that the memory he talked about was about his mother. Bleeding on the floor, and a younger version of himself with bloodied bone claws.

"I'm an animal. Everything I do is to keep it in the dark. Keep it where it can't reach anyone. Where it can't hurt anyone. But because of what I went through, how will it be before it rises and I lose myself to it? With these claws, I can hurt anybody. I don't want to hurt anyone…"

Kaneki then started crying.

"But I don't want to be alone. It's because of that, I let myself become somebody's prey, somebody's project. I even put my only friend's life in danger. I'm better off away from people, but…"

Yoshimura walked towards the blinds in Hide's room and opened them.

"Kaneki, do you realize what it is you went through?"

He wasn't sure what Yoshimura meant.

"Mutation. You underwent a radical change that forced you to adapt to a new situation. Although it didn't last long, it gave you a new perspective."

"On what it means to be a ghoul?"

"Precisely. Kaneki, like you, some ghouls don't want to give in to their primal instincts. Some of us want to be part of the world we live in, but it's hostile to our kind. Our primal instincts are the only way we can survive in a world that desires our extinction. What I am trying to do here, in Anteiku, is learning about the world that both humans and mutants live in."

Yoshimura then gave Kaneki an offer.

"Join us, Kaneki. I want to help in regaining what you lost, what makes you feel like you're an animal, and maybe help you find a future for yourself, despite missing a past. In return, you can help gain a deeper understanding about mutants. Being a part of Anteiku can even help you gain a better understanding of us. How about it? I even start by teaching you how we make our coffee here."

Kaneki's mood lightened up a little as soon as Yoshimura offered to teach his coffee-making skills to him.

"Sounds good. I never made coffee before."

 **And here is where we end the chapter. I enjoyed writing this chapter as larger plot elements for the whole story were laid out in a fashion that I hope kept readers engaged while not feeling bored. If you like it, leave a review. Share with your friends. And stay tuned for the next chapter. Later!**


	4. Ch 3

**All right! Here we are. I hope you're ready for this. One X-Men character will be a recurring character in this story, while another Marvel character will be mentioned and be featured in a future chapter. Who will it be? Read to find out. This chapter, Kaneki learns the ropes on how Anteiku helps the ghouls who live in the 20** **th** **ward of Tokyo. Although he is no longer a ghoul, he is still compelled to help the ghouls who were willing to help him in his brief time of being one of them. However, being a mutant will cause friction with at least one of them.**

Ch. 3 – Transition

Atop the Aqua building were two men, both wearing trench coats. One looked like he was in his late twenties while his trench coat was a darker shade of grey. He also possessed a calm and stoic demeanor. While the other one looked as if he was pushing 50 with his trench coat was a lighter shade of grey. What made him distinctive was his hair looked like a dead man's hair, and his stooped shoulders. But what made him uneasy to look at were his eyes, how his left looked like it was going to burst out of its eye socket while his right always squinted. Combine with the fact that he always had a grin on his face gave him a definite creep factor. The two men were ghoul investigators.

"Don't you love the rain, Amon? The precipitation dulls their senses. Which makes this the perfect weather to work in."

"According to the report, there was a predatory incident involving a binge eater about three months ago. What makes it interesting is that eyewitnesses report that the ghoul, Jason, was also here."

"A binge-eater and Jason?"

"Two S-class interacting with one another. It's most unusual."

"Perhaps. It's safe to say that they weren't cordially sharing a meal."

The older investigator began searching around in an almost-frantic state.

"Something wrong?"

The older investigator leapt to the lower edge of the building due to spotting something out of place.

"Mr. Madou!"

Madou picked up a pair of pliers from the scene.

"What'd I tell you? I knew the weather would work in our favor. The only downside to this downpour is that we won't be able to hear them scream to death"

Madou laughed for a little when he finished that sentence.

xxxxxx

Kaneki was learning from Yoshimura himself how to make the café's signature coffee. He slowly poured the hot water over the crushed coffee beans the way Yoshimura taught him.

"Just take it slow. But keep pouring in circles."

"Yes sir."

Kaneki was careful as to follow his boss's instructions. When he finished, he gave it a taste run.

"How is it?"

"I wish I could say it tastes just as good as yours."

"Remember: coffee takes on a different flavor depending on the effort you put into it. Take your time, and you'll always have a perfect cup."

"No matter what beans you use?"

"Precisely. One more thing to keep in mind. Anteiku isn't just an ordinary coffeehouse. It's where the ghouls of the 20th ward can come together. A safe haven of sorts. Although we do get human and mutant customers here, just like you and your friend."

"Don't ghouls have to hide themselves from the world? Or you serving both human and mutant customers as your way of learning about them?"

"Yes, it is. I believe that the more we study humans and mutants, the more we can blend in with them. There are even some mutants here in the 9th and 11th wards that are aware of us ghouls in Anteiku."

"You mean more than me?"

"It's a small number, but yes. They're open to the idea of finding a way for us ghouls to become integrated with society. It's something Charles Xavier once said. Unification is comprised of three elements. Empathy, Education, and Diplomacy. Humans and Mutants are like living textbooks to us ghouls."

Yoshimura then saw a mother and child playing with each other through the room window in the middle of his conversation.

"However, if I'm being honest. I rather like them."

Kaneki was surprised to hear such an honest answer from Yoshimura.

"So, are you ready to give Touka a hand?"

"Yes sir."

Before Kaneki headed downstairs to help Touka with the shop, he asked Yoshimura a question.

"Before that sir, can I ask a question about Touka?"

"What is it?"

"Does she hate mutants?"

"In a way. She despises mutants for how they shifted the focus of humanity's hatred from someone like you to someone like her. She feels her life is a reflection of that fact."

Kaneki looked a little guilty over that fact. Yoshimura assuaged him of the guilt.

"Just let her get to know you better. She'll come around."

"Yes sir."

Kaneki made his way downstairs to the shop door.

" _He says he likes humans. In what way, though?_ "

When he opened the door, he saw Hide talking with Touka in a friendly manner.

"Kaneki! What's up?"

"Hide. Why are you here?"

"It's pretty obvious. I came to thank Touka here."

"For what?"

"Don't you remember? She's the one who found us after the accident."

Before Kaneki could say anything, Touka side-kicked him under Hide's sight while continuing to act like a modest schoolgirl.

"I'm guessing he hasn't completely recovered yet."

"Doubt it. He can…"

Hide was close to telling Touka about his mutant abilities, but saw Kaneki making an anguished face. He took it as a signal that Kaneki wasn't ready to show his mutant powers to anyone else.

"Can what?"

"It's nothing. Just forget it. So, how you feeling, Kaneki?"

"I'm good. Thanks for asking."

"Well, I'm glad. I heard Nishio is in the hospital. We were really lucky you found us when you did. We got out of it with only a few scratches. We owe you big time."

Hide readied his backpack and raincoat.

"Later guys."

"See ya."

"Thanks for coming in."

As Hide left the shop, he grabbed his bike and rode on it briefly before noticing a mother and her child running in the rain. Inside the shop, Touka gave Kaneki a warning.

"Be careful around that guy. You can't let find out about us."

"Well, he didn't know that I was a ghoul for a while, so that's promising."

"I'm serious. If he catches on to us, then I'll have no choice but to kill him right on the spot."

"I won't let that happen."

"Then don't tell him anything. I may have to work with you because of Yoshimura, but don't think I'll stand for any of your bullshit."

The door then opened once more.

"Hi. Good afternoon…"

The mother and daughter that Hide saw before entered the coffee shop.

"Hello Touka."

"Ryouko!"

"I'll go get some towels."

After Kaneki came back, Touka took a couple and gave them to Both Ryouko and her daughter. The girl was still clutching near her mother.

"We're sorry. We didn't want to trouble you."

"Don't be silly."

Touka spoke in a friendly manner to the girl.

"Hinami. Long time, no see."

Hinami didn't say anything and got closer to Ryouko.

"Where's Yoshimura?"

"He's inside."

Kaneki offered another towel as to not look totally clueless.

"You need another one?"

"Yes, thank you."

Kaneki extended his arms to Ryouko while Hinami looked at him with some apprehension. Kaneki smiled as to make Hinami comfortable. It did not work. Yoshimura then came downstairs to check on the shop only to find Ryouko and Hinami inside.

"Ryouko."

"Yoshimura."

"What happened?"

Ryouko explained what compelled her to come to Anteiku.

xxxxxx

In a makeshift clinic somewhere in the 20th ward, a patient just finished seeing his doctor. On one of the walls were five pieces of paper. Three of them had flowers taped to them while the one in the center was a child's drawing of a family of three rabbits wearing different colored scarves.

"Yes. Thank you very much, sir."

"Take care of yourself."

The doctor then called for his next patient.

"Okay, who's next?"

The quiet that defined the day would soon be ruined as the patient that just finished with the doctor was violently pushed through the door with bloody scars on his chest area.

"Help me, please…"

The patient faints on the doctor's table. The person who did this made himself known.

"Knock, knock. I see the doctor is in."

"Yamori."

"Remember the pliers you made for me before? I seemed to have misplaced them."

Yamori cracked his knuckles using only one hand to do it. While Ryouko and Hinami were hiding behind a patient curtain.

"I need you to make me another one."

"Okay."

"Thanks a lot, doc. I'll be back soon."

Hinami shivered in fear over what was happening. Ryouko held on to her tight to make her feel safe in this tense situation. Ryouko checked to see if the intruder was gone. She found her husband by himself which meant it was safe.

"What now, dear?"

xxxxxx

"So that's why we came here."

Yoshimura took a moment to absorb the information that was told to him by Ryouko. He then looks at Kaneki with a slightly confused look on his face.

"Kaneki."

"Yes sir?"

"This is Ryouko and Hinami Fueguchi. We're going to be looking after them."

"Gotcha."

"Ryouko, Hinami. Come with me. I'll show you to your rooms."

Both Ryouko and Hinami followed Yoshimura while Kaneki and Touka went back to the shop.

"So, they're ghouls who live here? Why'd they come here?"

"It's a long story."

"We got time."

Touka slams down the rag she was cleaning the shop bar with.

"You're getting on my last nerve. You can't do anything right!"

"What do you mean I can't do anything right?! I've barely done anything!"

Touka instantly grabbed Kaneki by his shirt collar.

"Exactly! You can't do anything right because you barely know anything about us!"

Touka had an angry look on her face due to how ignorant Kaneki was about how life for ghouls is. She eventually let go of his shirt collar.

"Let's just drop it."

After a brief moment of silence, Touka asked Kaneki a question.

"So, did the manger have a talk with you today?"

"Mostly on how he wants to learn from the human and mutant customers that come in here."

"Not about the box carriers?"

"Box carriers?"

"Did he warn you about the guys who carry the big attaché cases?"

"We never got to it."

Touka growled in frustration and threw the rag she was using to clean the shop bar to Kaneki.

"You clean up! I'm taking a break!"

Touka went up to her room. Kaneki stood feeling guilty once more about what he did. Touka laid on her bed, frustrated about the fact of someone like Kaneki working here.

" _What the hell does Yoshimura have to learn from a mutant dipshit like him?_ "

xxxxxx

(GCB Headquarters)

In a room full of investigators, a meeting was taking place over the latest situation involving ghouls. Madou sat next to his partner with his case on top of the table.

"This map shows the current status of the 11th ward. As you can see, they're starting to demonstrate organized movement. I hate to say it, but it looks like we may a war on our hands."

The investigators silently talked amongst themselves about the prospect of war raging on the streets of Tokyo.

"Well, until we know more, I don't suppose any of you here have anything else to report."

One investigator raised his hand and then rose himself.

"Investigator 1st Class, Kotarou Amon. I'll start with this."

An image of the pliers that Madou picked up earlier was shown on the map screen.

"Three months ago, the 13th ward's Jason made contact with the binge eater from the 20th ward. This was left behind at the crime scene."

"May I ask what this is?"

"A pair of pliers to the average person. But we also believe it to be modified into a ghoul medical apparatus. Farfetched at first, but we sent to one of the labs for analysis. It's made of quinque steel."

"Is that right?"

"While we don't know about Jason's objectives, we do know this. Ever since his meeting with the binge eater, all occurrences of binge predation have stopped."

Amon sits down as he finished his report. The investigator holding the meeting gives his thoughts after hearing Amon's report.

"Sounds like there's a lot happening in the 20th ward. No wonder you were top of your class at the academy, detective. You must feel lucky, Madou. Having a partner like that give you more time to play with your toys."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Lucky me. Do you thing we could hurry this up? I could be doing a million more useful things to do with my time."

"If you weren't so damn good at your job, I'd toss your ass out of here."

"If he was half-good, that gives him slap on face, yes?"

The investigators laughed when the largest investigator speaking with a Russian accent cracked a joke at Madou's expense.

"I'd kick yours, but it probably weighs a ton, Colossus."

"Not my fault. I born this way. And it is Piotr. I moved on from that name for reason."

"All right you two. Simmer down. Amon, Madou, I'm assigning you both to the 20th ward. You got that?"

Amon was quick to reply.

"Yes sir."

Piotr rose from his seat to speak.

"Excuse me. I thought I was assigned to 20th ward."

"You're being re-assigned."

"I was not notified."

"You are now."

Piotr sat down, mildly annoyed. The investigator heading the meeting then addressed the whole room.

"I find it disturbing that the ghouls in our city are now becoming more active. It's a harbinger of things to come. I feel it in my gut. But we cannot lose focus here. The main goal of the Ghoul Countermeasure Bureau is to drive the ghouls into extinction by any means necessary. No matter what trials the future may bring, that will always be our top priority."

"Yes sir!"

"This meeting is now adjourned. Dismissed."

All the investigators then stood up and either went to their new assignments or resumed their current ones. Amon and Madou walk down a hallway discussing with each other.

"Well, now we get to investigate the 20th ward now."

"Yes. But this is the only lead we have."

Amon bring out the pliers wrapped in a plastic forensics bag.

"It's enough. Remember, we have one end of the thread. All we have to do is to pull it out until we unravel something big."

"But it pays to be careful when you do so, da?"

Both men turn around to see Colossus standing behind them.

"Piotr."

"Inspectors Amon and Madou. Heading for 20th ward, yes? Good luck to you gentlemen."

"And I can see you're getting ready to take on the… 11th ward, yes?"

"It my job. But like I said before, be careful. From what I can tell, ghoul called Gourmet lives there. Not to mention…"

Amon was curious as to what Colossus was saying, but Madou stopped him from asking.

"Oh, we will... Colossus."

Piotr was mildly annoyed when Madou used his old X-men callsign in such a passive-aggressive manner. The two investigators resumed making their way to the 20th ward, with Madou silently excited for what was ahead.

" _The Gourmet, the Binge-eater, and Jason. Can't wait to rip them apart._ "

xxxxxx

Kaneki was learning to prepare sandwiches for the customers that come to Anteiku.

" _Well, we're still a coffee shop. Makes sense that we have to play the part._ "

As soon as Yoshimura was done, Kaneki imitated how the sandwiches were both made and looked. Down to the crust cut off.

"Very good, Kaneki."

"Thank you, sir."

Kaneki then had a flashback to when he saw Nishio eat some taiyaki without throwing up in front of him and Hide.

"Excuse me. May I ask a question?"

"Go ahead."

"Well, before Nishio decided to try to eat Hide in front of me, we all stopped at a taiyaki shop, and I saw him eat some taiyaki without a problem."

"Ah. So, you want to know how some ghouls can eat human food without ingesting it, correct?"

"That…definitely came to mind, yes."

Yoshimura picked up one of the sandwiches that Kaneki made and took a bite out of it. He chewed on the food to which Kaneki stood stupefied. Yoshimura explained how he does it.

"The trick is not to eat the food, but to swallow it whole."

Yoshimura chews the sandwich piece a few more time.

"Notice that I chew it at least over 10 times and I make chewing noises while I do it."

Yoshimura resumes his demonstration.

"But I not really chewing it. I'm actually pretending to do it. If I make chewing sounds while I do it, it'll be more believable."

Yoshimura then puts down the sandwich.

"Obviously if we ingest human food, it'll negatively affect out health, so we throw it up before it becomes digested."

Kaneki, fully seeing how it was done, gave an honest reaction to the demonstration.

"Sir, forgive me for being so blunt, but I don't know whether that was incredible or weird."

"Says the young man with the metal claws."

Kaneki realizes the irony in his words.

"Uh…ok, you got a good point."

Yoshimura laughed at how Kaneki put himself in a position of irony by accident. While Kaneki stood slightly embarrassed.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm not admonishing you or anything."

"I know sir."

"Actually Kaneki, I have a favor to ask of you. Would you mind staying late today?"

"Sure. I don't mind. Why though?"

"Normally, I'd ask Touka to do something like this, but she's got an important exam to study for."

"What is it though?"

"Food shopping."

As soon as Kaneki heard the word 'food' from Yoshimura's mouth, he instantly remembered all the times he saw corpses and the ghouls feeding on them. Yoshimura could see Kaneki tensing up.

"It's not what you think."

"It isn't?"

"Here in Anteiku, we provide for our brethren who are incapable of hunting humans. I'm sure you can understand why."

"Yes sir. I understand."

xxxxxx

Kaneki was now in a car with an associate of Yoshimura His name as Yomo. He was mostly silent, keeping to himself as he drove the car. Kaneki was curious about where the two of them were going for "food."

"Yomo, right? Where are we going exactly for food shopping?"

Yomo did not respond to Kaneki's question. Kaneki just sat in his seat with his thoughts.

" _Ghouls incapable of hunting? Just what did Yoshimura mean when he said that?_ "

 _Maybe the old man's talking about that mom and her kid._

Kaneki heard another voice speaking to him. He then sees Wolverine's face where his reflection should be. Kaneki restrained his impulse to freak out.

 _Just calm down. You don't have to act like a total spaz over every little thing._

Kaneki took the 'spaz' a little personally.

 _Just stay quiet and enjoy the ride._

The reflection on the window slowly went from showing Wolverine to Kaneki's reflection. Within minutes, the car was now outside of Tokyo's city limits, where it was mostly forest. Upon spotting a side stop did the two see a red car parked there. Yomo parked there as well.

"All right. Let's get out."

"Right."

When the two stepped out of the car, Kaneki saw how deep the cliffside looked.

"Whoa. We're so high up."

Kaneki was leaning near the wide steel rail.

"Don't lean on that. You'll fall."

Yomo was eventually proven right as the wide steel rail was so rusted that any weight applied to it would enable it to fall apart. And it did just that as Kaneki fell down to the forest ground. And when he landed, the impact to the ground made him feel like he broke his back. Although the impact of the landing gave him pain, Kaneki's healing factor eventually kicked in. Inside of his mind, he could hear Wolverine criticizing him for his stupidity.

 _You idiot! He just said you would fall._

" _That was beforehand!_ "

Kaneki slowly got up from the fall, only to find a fresh corpse a few feet from him. He loudly panicked at the sight of it. Yomo leapt down, carrying a huge duffel bag to confirm 'fresh product.'

"Many people come here to commit suicide. Their reasons vary, but they all come here just the same."

"So, the ghouls of Anteiku eat the corpses of those just killed themselves?"

Yomo dropped the bag next to Kaneki.

"Pack him up."

Kaneki stayed sitting on the ground, apprehensive about dismembering a suicide victim.

 _Come on. Get to it._

" _You can't expect me to-_ "

 _Look, I understand where you're coming from, but these people need to eat in order to survive. I did my part, so now you need to do yours. Get to it!_

Kaneki got himself up and took the bag Yomo gave him. He unzipped it. But before he could do anything, Yomo touched him on the shoulder.

"Hold it."

"I'm just doing what-"

Yomo performed a small Japanese prayer stance for the corpse. Kaneki was surprised to see a ghoul pay respect for the dead. Considering they eat them.

xxxxxx

Back in Tokyo, Amon and Madou went into an alleyway to look for some ghouls to interrogate. Madou was being followed by one who wore a purple hoodie with piercings on the left side of his lips. He leapt upwards to pounce onto Madou, but made the grave mistake of underestimating him. opened up his case, and sliced the ghoul with his quinque. The attacks were so fast they were almost invisible to the naked eye. Amon arrived at the scene shortly after.

"You ok? I'm sorry. I had to catch up."

"Oh, I'm fine. You just need to rely more on your senses."

Madou then turned his attention to the ghoul he injured moments ago.

"Now tell me…"

He brings out the pliers.

"Any idea who might be missing these?"

"What?"

"This little gadget. Do you know who the original owner is? You better tell me or you'll be in deeper pain than you're in right now."

"I don't know. I swear!"

"Pity. Amon, would you mind?"

Amon unlocked his attaché case, and "took care" of the ghoul. A huge splat was then heard.

xxxxxx

(Daytime)

As Kaneki finished with his classes, he then went to his studio to make some street art as he had not done so for quite some time. A lot of things were on his mind. From learning about how ghouls like Yoshimura fake-eat human food to how they do their "food shopping," Kaneki was compelled to create graffiti art about how he felt about the experience. However, he did not want to expose the ghouls of Anteiku at all. So now he was at a loss about what to create. He then painted over the currently existing art on the walls with white paint to create a blank slate. After doing all that, he finally had an idea.

(Play _I Fall Apart – Post Malone, start at 0:56_ )

The overall color scheme was simple one-half black and one-half white. What he first created was a person outline, but the left side was slightly higher than the right side. While the right side possessed a sort of horn outline at the head part. Kaneki then gave more detail to the left side. While he did so, flashbacks to when he first met Rize came back. First at how he was so happy when someone so beautiful and full of love became interested in someone like him, and that day gave him so much joy in knowing that someone like him does deserve love. Only for it to turn into a nightmare the following night. How it ended with him being chased like a rabbit running from a fox. Kaneki felt like it was some sort of divine message that said what he believed was wrong. Then he remembered trying to defend both himself and Hide from Nishiki and utterly failing. When Kaneki was finished, what he created on the left side of the person outline was himself, looking despondent and dejected. Now, he gave more detail to the right side of the person outline. What he remembered next was how entered into a state of rage first against Rize. How he growled and snarled like a beast when he practically sliced her apart. All the anger that grew inside him that night, suddenly unleashed on her with every strike. Then at Nishiki when he was more aware of his surroundings and spoke back at him to make him angry and unfocused. Which gave him ample opportunity to land decisive cuts that would finally put Nishiki down. Were it not for the fatigue, the part of Kaneki that took over fighting Nishiki would have felt satisfaction of defeating his opponent. When he finished the right side, it now looked like Wolverine, in full costume, with an angry and feral look on his face. The left side was white while the right side was black, to further illustrate the dichotomy of his newfound duality. Kaneki looked at what he created as representation of his current emotional (and possibly mental) state of being. He then sat down to take a long look at what he created. Or rather, at what he was becoming. So far, he was afraid of it. And what he would have to do if he could not control it.

( _end song_ )

xxxxxx

Later on, Kaneki worked at his job in Anteiku, mostly washing the dishes and serving the customers either their coffee or sandwiches if they so requested. It wouldn't be later on when Yoshimura spoke to him.

"Kaneki."

"Yes sir?"

"You're going to need a mask now."

"I need…a mask?"

"Yes. I think it'd be a good idea for you to have one."

Kaneki felt mildly confused by this.

"O…kay."

"Touka."

"Yes sir?"

"Kaneki need to have a mask made. Would you mind taking him to Uta's tomorrow?"

Touka felt aggravated by Yoshimura's request.

"What?! But tomorrow's my one day off, and the last thing I want is to spend it with the mutant."

Kaneki felt a little offended by that remark.

"I'd send him on his own, but I'm afraid he might get lost. Plus, that part of town isn't exactly safe."

"I understand where you're going with this sir, but I don't think he deserves a mask. He's not one of us!"

Yoshimura then spoke in a serious tone.

"Touka. There are two investigators in the 20th ward."

"Not the doves. I thought-"

"Piotr just called me a little while ago. They reassigned him to the 11th ward."

Kaneki was piecing together what the conversation was about. He was familiar with the person Yoshimura and Touka were talking about.

"Piotr…you don't mean-"

"They've already done some damage. True, Kaneki is a mutant, and as such they have no reason to suspect him. But considering what his recent experiences left him, it might be best for him to have one just in case."

"Okay. You got it."

Touka then spoke to Kaneki.

"Listen up, eyepatch."

Her voice then went to a threatening tone.

"2:30 at the train station. Show up late and I'll kill you."

Kaneki at first was scared by it, only for Wolverine to talk him out of the fear.

 _She's just being dramatic. Don't let it get to you._

" _She sounds like she means it._ "

 _Well that's because you tend to act like a spaz._

Kaneki growled a little while making an irritated face.

"Okay. Just ease it with the whole 'psychopath' vibe, would ya?"

Touka continued to stare at Kaneki, but this time with a scowl on her face while Kaneki continued with his irritated face. Yoshimura looked at the two of them with worry.

" _I do wish they could get along better._ "

xxxxxx

(The next day)

Kaneki arrived at the train station at the time Touka told her to come. She, however, did not. Kaneki was forced to wait for an hour.

 _Making you wait around like an idiot for almost an hour._

" _Yeah. She's a piece of work that way._ "

 _Heads up._

Kaneki at first was unsure as to what Wolverine met. But as soon as he sniffed a familiar scent, turned around to see Touka about to kick him. He quickly sidesteps, causing Touka to stumble for a little before stabilizing herself. When she regained her footing, she angrily scowled at Kaneki. He brushed it off.

"If you'll stop being a petty tsundere, please lead the way."

Knowing she did not have time for this, Touka simply leads Kaneki to where he can get his mask made. They both passed several shady establishments until they stopped at a building where it possessed a storage unit at the front with a staircase at the right side. The two went downstairs to find a shop named HySy art studio. Touka opens the door.

"We're here, Uta!"

Kaneki looks at the various masks all around the shop. Needless to say, he was impressed at what he saw.

" _Yoshimura says he does masks. Never thought he'd be so good at it._ "

Touka was curious as to where Uta was.

"Geez, is he sleeping on the job?"

"Well, that's too bad. I'd like to get inside his head."

"For what?"

"His work process. It's kickass."

A white sheet covering one of the displays uncovered itself to revel a goth-looking man with the front right side of his head shaved off, piercings on both his ears and lips, and a ponytail.

"Thanks for the compliment."

Kaneki got scared for a moment and fell on the floor. Touka was amused by Uta's quirks.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Nothing wrong with a little scare every now and then."

Uta closed the shop early to fulfill Yoshimura's request of creating a mask of Kaneki. Touka introduced him to Kaneki.

"This is Uta. He's gonna make your mask for you."

"What's your name?"

"I'm Kaneki. Nice to meet-"

Before Kaneki could finish his introduction, Uta started to sniff him.

"You have a very unusual smell about you."

"Well maybe that's-"

"Hey Touka. I heard there were doves on the prowl. What happened with-?"

"They reassigned Piotr to the 11th ward."

"Oh, that's too bad. Even so, the 20th ward's been pretty quiet. Why are they all up in your business?"

Uta continued to sniff Kaneki.

"Something to do with Rize?"

"Possible. But Tsukiyama had also been pressing his luck lately."

"Oh yeah. Him."

Kaneki was curious as to why Uta was sniffing him.

"Excuse me. Is there any reason why you're sniffing me?"

"It's how I get a feel for you. Which brings me to my question. You're not a ghoul, aren't you?"

"Uh…No, I'm not."

"Thought as such. I know what a ghoul smells like, and even though I can catch it here and there with you, you're definitely not one."

Uta then points to a rectangular box with a handle on one side and a mini towel rack. Once he sat there, Kaneki was asked a series of questions pertaining to the mask. Until Uta unwittingly made a crucial question.

"I think the eyepatch looks cute. Wanna include it?"

"That's not really necessary. I just wear it because this eye becomes black when…"

Uta was curious as to why Kaneki stopped elaborating on his right eye.

"When what?"

"When I get into a state of rage."

"Let me guess? Part of your…mutation?"

Kaneki was shocked to hear Uta correctly guessing that he is a mutant.

"You can tell?"

"It's all in the scent. So…"

Uta then asked a personal question.

"Can I see it? Usually when it comes to ghouls, I can instantly know what suits them. But you're different. You're my first mutant."

At first, Kaneki was nervous it came to showing his mutation to anybody. He was willing to show it to Hide because they were best friends. When it came to Yoshimura, he felt he could trust the man because of his nurturing demeanor. Touka only saw his mutation due to keeping an eye on him, on behalf of Yoshimura. However, he did not want to seem rude to Uta because he admired his work in the shop. Eventually, Kaneki consented to Uta's request.

"You might want to take a step back."

Uta did so. What he saw next almost took his breath away.

 _SNIKT!_

Uta almost covered his mouth when he witnessed metal claws emerging out his Kaneki's knuckles.

"Can I…touch them?"

Both Kaneki and Touka were slightly weirded out by such a request.

"O…kay. Careful though. You'll cut yourself."

Uta slowly approached the claws sticking out of Kaneki's knuckles. Uta touched the blunt side first to get a feel for the steel. He slowly went the sharp edges to see if it really will cut him. Uta winched in pain as he felt the claws cut through his ghoul skin.

"Woah. You okay?"

"Yeah. Just need…"

Uta opened of the side cabinets to look for anything to stop the bleeding. He found a white hand towel and wrapped it around his finger. Kaneki then retracted his claws to prevent further accidents. Uta saw Kaneki's feeling guilty over cutting him.

"Don't worry. It's all part of the process, really."

"When it comes to your masks, right?"

As Uta brought out the measuring tape, he further explains how he personalizes each mask he makes for each individual that comes to his shop.

"The more I get to know you, the better your mask will turn out."

He then sets a stool next to Kaneki.

"So, what do you think about Touka?"

Kaneki whispers to Uta.

"She's cute, but I don't think I'm her type."

"And what type of guy are you?"

Kaneki took a moment to find the best words to describe himself while Uta continued his measurements.

"Well…mostly a wallflower. The only time I want to express myself is with my work."

"That complement you gave about my work gives me a certain kind of clue. Tell me, what type of work do you do?"

"I create graffiti art."

"Like Banksy?"

"Yeah. I initially tried to imitate his work at first, but later on I took other influences."

"Give me a few."

"Well a couple of Manga artists like early Toriyama and Araki post Diamond is Unbreakable."

"Okay."

"Then there's also Warhol and H.R. Geiger."

Uta then spoke in a gleeful tone.

"Oh, Geiger."

"Yeah, there was a time when I tried to create Geigeresque street art. Got me into trouble one time. Thank god I got away with a slap on the wrist."

Kaneki sheepishly laughed when he actually got in trouble with the law. Uta simply smiled when he heard that story from Kaneki.

"Take pride. I can't afford to get in trouble with my art."

"Right. I almost forgot."

"Reason why I work in a mask shop is to illustrate what my species has to go through in order to live in peace. Ghouls have to live with masks in order to blend in with society. Both metaphorically and literally. We're forced to live on the outskirts of their world, and if we let them get close to us, they'll suspect us. And then, we're gone."

Kaneki remembered from both his history class lesson from school, and even talking with a mutant guidance counselor, about how mutants had to do the same a generation ago.

"That's why I admire ghouls like Touka. She's a hard worker. She allows herself to be around both humans and mutants like you. She works in Anteiku to serve them and even goes to school with them."

"But why would a ghoul like her want to be around people?"

"Good question. I know that whenever I get a human customer, my pulse races. I can't explain it, but there's something thrilling about it. She, on the other hand, stays cool no matter what."

Uta finishes measuring Kaneki's head.

"Tell Yoshimura I'll have his done in about three days. A week at the latest."

"Kay."

Kaneki gets up, but asks Touka a small favor.

"Touka?"

"Yeah?"

"Could you go on ahead? I'll catch up with you in a about a minute."

Touka looks at Kaneki with indifference before giving her answer.

"Any longer, and you go back on your own."

Touka leaves the shop, leaving only Uta and Kaneki.

"Uta."

"Yes?"

"Could you add more to the mask?"

"In what way?"

"Voice modulator."

Uta was surprised by that request. Only to smile a little after.

"Well, now it'll be a week before can be done. But…gladly."

"You won't tell Yoshimura, won't you?"

Uta placed his left index finger in the middle of his lips.

"Mum's the word."

Kaneki smiled and extended his hand to Uta. Uta returned it with a handshake of his own.

xxxxxx

As the two made their way to Anteiku, Kaneki was in thought about what to make of Touka after his conversation with Uta.

" _She does work hard. Meanwhile, what am I doing?_ "

 _You're learning. You can't do much right now. When the time is right, take what you learned to help her in any way you can._

Kaneki stopped to talk with Touka.

"Touka."

Slightly exasperated, she responds.

"Yeah, what?"

"I wanted to know. What happened with Hinami?"

"What's it to you? It's none of my business."

Touka continued walking, but Kaneki pleaded with her.

"Please tell me, Touka. I wanna help her."

Touka turned around to face him.

"There has to be something I can do."

After a moment of silence, Touka relented.

"She was forced to leave her family home behind. As well as her father. She probably has some anxiety over the whole thing. I've never seen her look so scared before."

"God only knows how tough this must be for her."

The two stood in silent agreement over how bad they feel for Hinami. Afterwards, Kaneki asked another question.

"There's this other question I had since yesterday. Why is it that ghouls need masks, anyways?"

"Seriously?! He didn't explain it to you?"

"Yoshimura? No."

"Ugh. Some manager he is."

Touka sighed and gave an explanation.

"So, the doves, or ghoul investigators, are hanging around our ward. If you're spotted by them, you don't want them seeing your face. Since you still have that ghoul eye that Rize gave you, that means for them, you're a target."

Kaneki took a moment to absorb the information that Touka gave to him.

"I heard you and Yoshimura mention a familiar name."

"Familiar?"

"Piotr."

"You know him?"

"Piotr Rasputin. AKA Colossus. He was one of the X-men, right?"

Touka was mildly taken aback by how Kaneki knew about him.

"I remember reading the X-men manga that me and Hide would read during middle school."

"Oh. That's it."

"Well, Yoshimura did tell me that only a few mutants knew about the ghouls of the 20th ward."

"That's right. Piotr was aware of the ghouls that came to Anteiku, but also saw that the ghouls that come to Anteiku never harmed a human. So he and Yoshimura made a silent deal. He wouldn't rat us out to the doves in return for sparing the humans that live in the 20th ward."

Kaneki smiled at how more people believed in what Yoshimura was trying to do.

"Then again, not all of the ghouls follow those rules. That's when he does his job. Yoshimura had no choice but to let him in order to keep Anteiku…"

"A sanctuary for ghouls who don't want to hunt for food?"

Touka looked at Kaneki, who had a goofy smile on his face.

"Yeah, that's right. Anyhow, because of that deal, the 20th ward has been at peace, mostly. But now since he's reassigned…"

"There could be violence on the horizon."

"Right again."

"Sounds to me the reason why Piotr was willing to give Yoshimura a chance is because of Charles Xavier."

Touka was now annoyed by hearing his name.

"And how is that hypocrite connected?"

"Well…that's because Xavier believed in co-existence, and instilled that belief in both the X-men and the students that go to his school. Yoshimura is trying to achieve the same thing with your species."

Touka sighed in exasperation.

"Let's just get back. I want this to be over with."

"Fine."

As the two resumed their way back to Anteiku, Kaneki was in thought as to why Touka would see Xavier as a hypocrite. As the two got closer to Anteiku, Kaneki spots a particular poster sign on one of the light poles. It had a golden Chinese dragon circling around the Taoist symbol of yin-yang, used to illustrate how two opposing forces could become interconnected and how one could give rise to the other the more they interact with each other. He then read what was on the poster. It said ' _Train yourself to be one with yourself! Come to the dojo of THE IRON FIST! We're also a gym._ ' At the bottom of the poster was the address of the dojo. Kaneki took out his phone and took a picture of the poster to better remember the location. Touka turns around to see Kaneki being far behind her.

"Hey!"

"Coming."

xxxxxx

Kaneki, in his Anteiku uniform, stood in front of the room door where Ryouko and Hinami were staying. He took a deep breath before entering.

"Here goes."

Upon entering, he found Hinami eating her dinner with blood around her mouth. She looks to see who was entering with her ghoul eyes formed. The hand that held the dinner knife shook a little. Hinami was still for a while before wiping off the blood off the side of her mouth with a cloth napkin. And she did it in a ladylike fashion. Kaneki simply stood nervous as to not scare Hinami more than she already was.

 _Say something._

" _What should I say?!_ "

 _Anything! Last thing she needs is your bullshit freaking her out more than she already is._

"SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU! TAKE YOUR TIME!"

Kaneki instantly ran out of the room, shutting the door behind him. He breathed heavily as he leaned on the wall.

 _Smooth._

"Oh shut up!"

Kaneki headed back to the shop to see one of the employees making some fresh coffee. What made him stand out was his orange-brown hair fashioned into a pompadour.

"What happened?"

"I…I saw Hinami…"

"Let me guess: eating her food?"

Kaneki silently nodded. The pompadour employee then pours a fresh cup of coffee into a teacup.

"She's not gonna be too be happy about this, Kaneki. Most ghouls like to eat in a private setting. Especially the ladies."

"Understandable."

The pompadour employee handed Kaneki the teacup filed with coffee and the saucer that went with it.

"Just give her this, along with an apology."

Kaneki held the teacup and saucer and placed it on a dark-brown round tray, and took it upstairs to Hinami's room. Upon arriving, he sees a tray with the plate and silverware almost covered in blood. Kaneki still felt bad that he intruded on Hinami's meal, considering that she was a ghoul and thus feasted on human flesh in order to survive. Nonetheless, Kaneki was still determined to make up to Hinami. He stepped over the dish tray and knocked on the door.

"Excuse me, Hinami. May I come in?"

"Yeah."

Hinami closed the book she was currently reading.

"I wanted to say sorry about earlier. I even brought some fresh coffee for you."

Hinami continued to look at him blankly.

"I'll…just leave this for you then."

"Um…"

Kaneki heard Hinami trying to say something to him and stood silent in order for her to speak freely.

"I don't want to be rude but…What are you?"

Kaneki was mildly surprised by the question.

"I'm sorry for asking, but you're different from other humans. And if you're like us, then I could be able to tell, even from far away. Are you…"?

"A mutant?"

Hinami lightly gasped when Kaneki confessed to being a mutant.

"I thought so. Mutants have so many different smells. I think it's because of their powers. They're all so different."

"Most of them. With me, it's different. I was closer to what you are before my mutant side kicked out what was gonna make a ghoul."

Kaneki sheepishly laughed at how he described his recent experiences.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you."

"I know you didn't. It's fine."

 _Look at the table._

Kaneki spots a notebook with a green colored drawing.

"Did you make that? It's good. Is it a bear or rabbit?"

"It's my daddy."

"Oh. Your dad."

 _Just pretend…_

" _That I can see the resemblance? I was gonna do that._ "

"Yeah. I can see the resemblance."

Hinami lightly blushed and internally laughed when Kaneki said that.

"I hope you'll see your dad again soon."

"Me too."

Kaneki then sees the book Hinami was reading.

"Is that Monochrome of Rainbows?"

"Yeah it is."

"No way. I love Takatsuki's books. Her works are tough for someone your age. Then again, it's a series of short stories so, it's probably easier to read."

 _Ease up. She was just getting comfortable with you._

Kaneki saw how apprehensive Hinami was to him.

"Sorry. It's just…I'm a huge fan of Sen Takatsuki's books."

"You like her that much?"

"Yeah. She's really good. So, which one's your favorite?"

"I think it's called 'Little Night in Rain Time?'"

"Wait. Give me a moment."

After a moment, Kaneki snapped his fingers.

"Got it. I think you meant 'Showers in Sunset.' That book inspired her to write 'The Black Goat's Egg.'"

Hinami was impressed by Kaneki.

"Wow. You're really smart. Hold on."

Hinami opened her book and points to a page.

"Can you tell me what this word is?"

Kaneki sees the word that Hinami points to on her book.

"That's hydrangea."

"Hydrangea? Like the flower?"

"Yeah."

She then flips through more pages to point to another word.

"And this one?"

"Although it technically means 'thin ice,' it actually means verglas."

"It's pretty."

"Sure, but there's another word I personally like better. You ever heard of the word 'glazing?' I think it sounds prettier."

Hinami was amazed by Kaneki's knowledge of literature.

"Me too!"

While all this was happening, Touka leaned near the opened door, listening to the two talking with each other. Hinami flipped the page of her notebook to record the new words she just learned with Kaneki.

"So, do you always take notes?"

"Well, I can't go to school. So, I write down anything I've learned in my notebook."

"That's smart of you. Listen, I got an idea. How would you like me to teach you new words now and then?"

Hinami was excited by the idea.

"Really?"

"Yeah. How about it?"

"I'd love that."

As Hinami asked Kaneki some more words and the meaning behind them, Touka smiled at the two of them getting along.

xxxxxx

In the darkness of night, Amon and Madou continued to search for the ghoul who originally owned the pliers that the two of them found. At first, they encountered a pair of ghouls who attacked them, only for the ghouls to be summarily beaten down hard. One of them managed to escape. The escaped ghoul eventually met up with an acquaintance of his during his escape.

"Damn. What happened to you?"

"F***ing doves, man."

"Box-carriers? In the 20th ward? Sounds like you've had one hell of a time."

"Y-Yeah. I just don't get why they're hanging around here."

"I heard that Gourmet guy got onto their radar a while ago. Heard he ripped a human's eyes out of their sockets without killing her."

"Seriously? Is that why you got those injuries?"

"Nah. This is from something else. How bad did they hurt you?"

"It really hurts."

"You should get to Dr. Fueguchi. Have him take a look at-"

Before he could finish his sentence, the other ghoul instantly got ripped to bloody pieces.

"Well, well. Seems as though the best way to catch a fly isn't with honey or vinegar. It's with other flies. Let's see what you can get for us, my little insect."

Amon and Madou approached the remaining ghoul for "interrogation."

xxxxxx

When Kaneki was getting ready to sleep, he took one last look at the poster he took a picture of earlier. He also remembered when Hinami was excited to learn new words from him.

" _Nice to see a smile on her face._ "

 _Guess you found some common ground with her after all. She really wants an education, but being a ghoul stops her from getting one._

" _It's too bad. I'd bet she would love going to school. She'd get good grades and everything._ "

 _Too bad there aren't ghouls like Charles Xavier out there. When he discovered other mutants like him, he used his resources to give young mutants the education they needed to-_

" _You act like you know him._ "

 _I do._

" _What do you mean you do? You're just a figment of my imagination._ "

 _So what?!_

" _So everything! Nobody knew what happened to the real Wolverine. He disappeared and nobody knows why._ "

(sigh)

" _Let's just drop it. I'll figure you out another time._ "

 _Fine. But you're gonna look up that dojo place, right?_

" _So what?_ "

 _Seems to me you actually want to make a difference in these people's lives. I ain't criticizing. Just making an observation._

Kaneki memorized the address and used the GPS to track down the route from Anteiku. He discovered it to be at the 9th ward. Walking there directly would take about two hours. And it would be the same if he went there from Kami. Kaneki decided to think on it more tomorrow. Ether way, he wanted to go the Iron Fist dojo in order to make himself more useful to the ghouls of Anteiku.

xxxxxx

(The next day)

A collected and elegant man walks down the sidewalk wearing a red designer suit, making his way to Anteiku. What made him distinctive was his bright, purple hair. While the shop itself was being cleaned by its dutiful employees, both Ryouko and Hinami greeted the staff. Hinami was more cheerful while doing so.

"Good morning. I hope you have a great day."

Both Touka and Kaneki greeted the cheerful Hinami.

"Hey. Good morning."

"You're looking so happy today, Hinami."

Hinami gave a wide, brightful smile to the two of them before heading upstairs with her mother. Kaneki commented on how Hinami was adjusting to her situation.

"Well, she's feeling better than she used to before."

Although Touka agreed on the inside, she instead berated Kaneki for being lazy on the job.

"Get to work, bum."

"Alright, alright. Get off my back."

The shop bell rang as soon as the door was opened. When the employees looked, only Kaneki gave a friendly greeting.

"Hello. Welcome"

The person who came inside was the gentleman in the red designer suit. He stood at the entrance for a moment, taking in a deep breath to take a full whiff of the shop with his hands in his pockets.

"Mmm. What a delightful aroma."

The door closed behind him by itself.

 **And that is it. I hope you all enjoyed it. Colossus is part of the story as a recurring character, but will play an important in later chapters. As well as the Marvel character Iron fist. Who else from the Marvel comics will be part of the story? Stay tuned! If you like what you read, either leave a review or share this fan-fic with your friends. See you next time.**


	5. Ch 4

**Welcome back, faithful readers. I've noticed people putting this fanfic on their favorite stories and update lists. I am seriously touched by this. Thank you so much. Fans like you give me a reason to write. For this chapter, I'll be integrating parts of the Tokyo ghoul manga that the anime didn't include. On with the story. Kaneki's life takes on a new twist when a certain individual comes into his life. When that's not happening, he goes to the 9** **th** **ward in search of someone who can make him…less of a wimp. How will it turn out? Read to find out.**

Ch. 4 – Invitation

"Tsukiyama."

Said Touka as he entered inside. He whiffs the aroma of the fresh coffee towards him.

"Long time, no see. Mon Cherie."

Touka knew what kind of person Tsukiyama was, and was not buying the civilized gentleman persona he was exhibiting. She resumes cleaning the bar as she spoke with him.

"What is it?"

"Now, now. I simply came here as a customer. Then again, someone of your charm is, how should I put this…an acquired taste."

Touka could hear the insult in his words.

"You're lucky that I'm at work right now."

Tsukiyama then turned his attention to Kaneki.

"And who is this?"

Tsukiyama took a few steps towards Kaneki while respecting his personal space. He extended his hand towards Kaneki.

"A new employee, I assume?"

Kaneki shook Tsukiyama's hand in return.

"Yes sir."

"What's your name?"

"Ken Kaneki."

Although Kaneki stopped shaking Tsukiyama's hand, he wouldn't let go for some reason. Tsukiyama then bowed down and sniffed Kaneki's hand.

 _Great. Another weirdo._

" _You've met people like him before?_ "

 _Not like him._

Tsukiyama continued to sniff Kaneki's hand, which continued to weird out Kaneki.

"Ce Magnifique."

Touka got in between the two and slapped Tsukiyama's hand, forcing him to let go of Kaneki.

"Leave him alone, and take your skeevy sideshow somewhere else."

Not letting the slap bothering him, Tsukiyama attempted to assuage Touka of any misgivings.

"Come now, Touka. Give me the benefit of the doubt."

Tsukiyama felt from the rest of the staff a certain unwelcome aura.

"Oh, very well. I know where I'm not wanted. Give Yoshimura my best. Ciao then."

Tsukiyama then exited the café while humming a song. Kaneki then asked Touka,

"So, how far away should I stay from him?"

"Very far. When you can't, keep your guard up around him. He's one of the parasites of the 20th ward. The reason why Piotr did his job when he was here."

"Just one more good reason."

"One more?"

"He had this thirsty vibe about him."

"What do you mean thirsty?"

"I heard him humming a song that I know a little. Its lyrics somewhat of a have a…sexual undertone."

"What song is that?"

"P.Y.T."

Touka and the rest of the staff were confused as to what Kaneki was talking about.

"What's that stand for?"

"Pretty. Young. Thing."

Touka Shuddered over the song title meaning.

"I know. It's a good song, but he just made it creepy."

xxxxxx

( _Later that night_ )

In a lavish dinner hall, Tsukiyama was having a meal with another person in the table. The two engaged in conversation in French. In his mind, however, Tsukiyama thought of Kaneki.

" _Ken Kaneki…for some reason…I want you._ "

xxxxxx

( _The next day_ )

Touka attended school today. By midday, it was already lunchtime. She sat together with her friend, Yoriko. While she had a bento box with food cooked by her own hands, Touka simply had a prepacked sweet bun. Yoriko was dismayed by Touka's choice of lunch.

"For real?"

"Now what's wrong?"

"Just the carbs in your hand."

"So what? I like my food travel-sized."

"That's no excuse. You need to eat right."

Yoriko carefully choose what food in her lunch she would share with Touka. She eventually chose a deep-fried piece of meat.

"Here you go. Down the hatch."

"I'm fine. Really."

"You can't live on processed sugar. Here, try some."

Touka had no choice but to eat what Yoriko offered her. She ate the meat right from the chopsticks Yoriko stuck in front of her face.

"I played around with the seasoning some more. Do you like it?"

After chewing on it for a bit, Touka signaled Yoriko to come closer. She did so, only for Touka to flick her on her forehead.

"Ow! Touka!"

"I guess it's pretty good."

"You're just saying that to spare my feelings."

"I mean it. I like it."

Yoriko giggled in joy over Touka's complement. Later on, Touka was in the bathroom, heavily heaving over what she ate. She even went so far as to punch herself in the stomach. However, instead of expelling the food Yoriko made from her body, she was instead trying to get her body to digest it.

"Keep it down. Keep it down. Come on, you stubborn bastard! Keep it down!"

She eventually calmed down and leaned on the toilet stall door.

"My complements to the chef."

xxxxxx

Kaneki sat on a picnic bench, reading one of his books while enjoying breakfast. He had with him an egg and sausage muffin sandwich with coffee he bought from a nearby campus café. The coffee was not as good as the one from Anteiku, but it was passable enough for him. What he really enjoyed was the sandwich. Something he though he would never eat again.

" _I'm never taking food for granted again._ "

 _Heads up. You're getting very unwelcome company._

"Kaneki."

Kaneki turned his head to see Tsukiyama sitting near him on the table. He was wearing casual clothing with a sweater.

"Hello."

"Hi…How can I help you?"

He said with apprehension in his voice.

"Shuu Tsukiyama. May I join you?"

Kaneki didn't feel any predatory instincts from Shuu.

"Be my guest."

"Merci beaucoup."

As Shuu took his seat, Kaneki asked him a question.

"So, what brings you to Kami university?"

"What if I said it was you?"

Kaneki was instantly taken aback by that statement.

"Well, I'm flattered, but I…uh…"

" _I have to remember that he's one of the parasites of the 20_ _th_ _ward._ "

 _Then why'd you let him sit in the same table with you?_

" _I didn't want to seem rude._ "

 _Your funeral, kid._

"I had a feeling that I'd find you lost in the pages of a book. A little bird from Anteiku told me about your passion."

"Well, it's not so much a passion as it is a… beloved pastime of mine."

"Honestly though, I love books. With just one sentence, you can lose yourself in someone else's dreams. The way I see it, literature serves as a bridge to which the reader can connect with the author's mind. Allowing us to relish in their thoughts and ideas. Splendid, isn't it? As we engage with the writers' tale, we freely walk the tapestry they weave. To immerse yourself in a book is a type of liberation that you wish would last forever."

With how Shuu spoke of the joys of reading a book with poetic flair, Kaneki was absolutely taken aback by Shuu's words.

"You just blew my mind with your passion for books."

As Shuu observed how Kaneki looked at him, he spots a ladybug crawling on his book. Shuu catches it with his thumb and index finger.

"Well, they carried me through many a bitter circumstance in my life. They were such a comfort."

Rather than crushing the ladybug, he allowed to crawl on the back of his hand before flying away.

" _He's a lot like me._ "

… _How exactly?_

Shuu then sees the title of Kaneki's book.

"Takatsuki, I presume? I recognize the cover."

"Yes, it is. Her writing style fringes on delicacy sometimes. But her eloquence and elusive writing style really draws me in."

"Well put."

Said Shuu, surprising Kaneki by agreeing with him.

"I too love her works as well. I actually know this café run by a bibliophile I know. Care to come with me this weekend? There's even this little rumor that Takatsuki even frequents there."

"She does? Really?"

 _Don't tell me you forgot about what Touka girl said about him._

"Uh, on second thought. I can't because…"

Shuu could tell that something was holding Kaneki back on accepting his offer.

"Let me guess. Kirishima told you to keep your distance."

Kaneki stammered for a while, trying to come up with a good excuse.

"I'm not offended. I'm aware that I have a sketchy reputation. I'm no stranger to being understood. It's just that ever since miss Kamishiro died, it's been hard to find good company."

Kaneki instantly recognized the name that Shuu just said.

"Are you talking about Rize?"

"Indeed. You and her have a similar vibe about you. Ghouls who love books are something of a rarity, you see. In all honesty, I just wanted a friend I can chat with about the finer aspects of literature. In a quiet and comfortable space."

As Shuu got up from the bench, Kaneki made a decision.

 _Don't tell me…_

" _All he wants is a friend._ "

 _Like I said, your funeral._

"Excuse me. I'd like to join you this weekend."

Shuu made a slightly elated face when he heard Kaneki accept his invitation.

"Splendid. This Sunday then."

Shuu handed Kaneki a card of the café in question that had its address on the back. As well as a mini map.

xxxxxx

After attending his classes, instead of heading for his studio, Kaneki first went home to pick up some workout clothes. Then he went to the station and rode for the 9th ward. While riding on the train, he took out his phone to look for the picture of the ad he took yesterday. He wanted to remember the address of the gym and dojo he wanted to check out. When he finally made it to the 9th ward, Kaneki then used a GPS app on his phone, typed in the address, and followed the directions that the app gave him.

 _Don't you have work?_

" _Yoshimura gave me a day off from work today._ "

 _So, you're heading to this to what? Get yourself stronger?_

" _I'm…not gonna lie. Fighting against Nishiki was sort of a wake-up call for me. Hide almost died because I was too afraid to use my powers. I want to know to defend myself. I know that deal we made…_ "

 _You just wanna save me as a last resort, right?_

" _I didn't mean to offend or anything…_ "

 _Actually, I wanna say go for it._

" _Huh?_ "

 _It was hard to move in your body. And it's not just because of the fatigue or hunger holding me back. Your body, in terms of fitness, is really underdeveloped._

" _Thanks a lot._ "

 _Thank yourself. It's refreshing to see you taking initiative._

" _We're almost there. So, no backseat driving for a while._ "

 _Fine._

Kaneki finally made to the dojo where the supposed Iron Fist trained students. He enters the downstairs gym. Once there, he finds a good amount of people exercising their bodies. Some of the people inside focused on cardio while others did strength training. What caught his attention was half of the people were mutants. Kaneki saw at least five mutants whose mutations were visible. He was then spoken to by one of the employees.

"Excuse me. Are you lost, kid?"

Kaneki turned his attention to the employee. Like him, the employee was a mutant. His mutation was clearly visible as he possessed dark blue skin with wolf-like physical attributes.

"I'm…here to sign up for kung-fu lessons."

"Oh, you're here to see master Rand."

"Yes, Mr…"

"Li. Chon-Li."

Li points to the staircase for the upstairs dojo.

"There's a dojo upstairs. He's finishing up with a class in less than five. You might wanna change before you get up there."

"Do you have a locker room?"

"Next to the staircase. Right side is male side."

"Thanks."

Kaneki made his way to the male locker room and changed into his workout clothes. He then walked up the staircase, directly to the dojo. There he saw a class finishing up with their lessons. Kaneki also saw the man teaching the class. He looked like he was in his early 30's, possessed a body that was slim but toned, and flat blond hair. What he wore was a green-colored hoodie with some sort of golden dragon symbol on the front and sweatpants to match. That caught Kaneki's attention for a while.

"That's it for today. Remember to practice your moves outside of class. It's always helpful to etch these lessons into your memory. Specifically…"

He pointed to one of his students.

"Muscle memory, Shifu."

"Correct. So, any opportunity you get, take five minutes for a quick review of everything I have taught you so far. Remember: Bi zuotian hao."

"Shi de, Shifu!"

"I'll see you all next week."

Little by little, the class exited the dojo. By the time the room became quiet, Kaneki made himself known.

"Excuse me? Are you Master Rand?"

Rand turned around to see Kaneki standing a couple feet from the entrance, then walking towards him.

"Only my students call me that. Call me Danny."

The two shook hands.

"Well, I'm here to be one of them."

"I gathered that. Thing is, you're about 10 minutes early."

"Oh. Was that an advanced class or something?"

"In a way. At about this hour, I don't have any students. I'd just spend it working out at the gym below."

"I see."

Kaneki looked despondent until Danny clarified what he meant.

"Don't look so sad, kid. Just because I don't usually have students right doesn't mean I don't want to teach."

Kaneki now looked relieved and excited.

"Really?!"

Danny was slightly taken off-guard by Kaneki's enthusiasm.

"…Yeah really."

Kaneki picked up on Danny's discomfort.

"Sorry. It's just…I wanna learn how to fight."

"Why though?"

Kaneki took a moment think how he can be honest to Danny without letting him know about the ghouls of Anteiku.

"I was in a bad place. Not because I wanted to, but because someone forced me to. For a while, I suffered so much. Then… someone showed me kindness. Showed me some mercy that I thought…I would never know again. When my suffering passed, I offered to never see him again. Not because I wanted to spit him in the face, but for other reasons. Instead, he gave me sanctuary. I wanted to pay him back."

Kaneki was careful not to give too much away. Danny heard every single word and gave his answer.

"There is an old proverb: When the student is ready, the master will appear."

"Wasn't it the Buddha who said that?"

"Popular misconception. One that'll take too long to explain. Two more questions. One: have you taken any self-defense lessons before?"

"No. This is my first."

"Two: You know what a punch and a kick is?"

"I've read Dragon ball before."

"Good. Give me two minutes. We'll start when I bring the proper training tools."

"YES SIR!"

Danny winched at how loud Kaneki acted. Kaneki covered his mouth shortly after.

"Sorry."

"It's fine."

After two minutes had already passed, Danny came back with martial arts training equipment. He dropped two glove pads for punching exercises and a strike shield for kicking techniques unto the floor.

"One more thing to know. During our lessons, you will address me as Shifu."

"Like how the class addressed you?"

"Yes. Do you remember exactly?"

After taking a moment to think, Kaneki repeated what the students said earlier to Danny.

"Shi de, Shifu. Even though I don't know what it means."

"It means 'yes, master.' One more thing."

"Shi de, Shifu?"

"You have some sort of condition because I didn't want to say anything before. But I've noticed…"

Danny pointed to Kaneki's eyepatch via his face pointing out where it was.

"Oh…uh…it's not contagious or anything…"

"Then you're gonna have to take it off. We're gonna be sweating a lot."

Kaneki hesitated for a little before eventually taking it off and placing it in his left pocket on his sweatpants.

"Let's get started then."

Danny put on the glove pads to start Kaneki's lesson.

"First let's see how hard you can punch."

( _Five minutes later_ )

After a series of practice punches and kicks, Danny concluded that Kaneki was stronger than he looked. He felt perplexed at how much force Kaneki was capable of despite looking skinny.

"Are you a mutant?"

"Huh?"

"Are you a mutant? You don't have to be ashamed, Kaneki. Many of my students are mutants. Even some of my employees."

"I didn't feel ashamed, sir. I just thought that…"

"Wasn't relevant?"

"…shi de, Shifu."

Danny sighed at how Kaneki omitted that fact that he was a mutant.

"Well, your punches lead me to believe that you're a lot stronger than you look. I'm surprised it hasn't got you in trouble yet."

Kaneki froze up when memories of Rize attacking him and him fighting back with rage suddenly came back to him. Danny sees this, thinking that Kaneki was being judged by him.

"Listen, I'm not accusing you of lying or anything. I believe that you are here for a reason."

"You do?"

"No snowflake ever falls in the wrong place. You don't have to show me your mutation. I just need to adjust your training a little. You're still gonna learn how to perform kung-fu. But you have to know how much force you want behind your punches."

"Shi de, Shifu."

"Let's head downstairs to my gym. You're gonna do some weight training."

( _20 minutes later_ )

Both Danny and Kaneki were back upstairs in the dojo. Although Kaneki felt extremely tired after lifting weights. Danny give his impressions.

"You were able to lift a quarter of a ton. I find that interesting, Kaneki."

Although he breathed heavily, Kaneki responded,

"Thank you, Shifu."

Kaneki's breathing sounded less heavy little by little.

"You feel better?"

"Yes sir."

"Then let's start with the basics."

"We're finally gonna start?"

"I just needed to gauge what it is you're really capable of."

"Really, Shifu?"

"Awareness is the greatest agent for change. I may not know what it is you're going through, but I could tell that there are some things you wanna meet head on. I just hope I can be a competent enough teacher to give you the tools. But enough talk. Now we begin you path of self-mastery."

With an expression of delight, Kaneki gave his gratitude the way he was taught how.

"Shi de, Shifu."

"Position yourself like this."

Danny showed to Kaneki how to ready his body for training.

xxxxxx

( _Thursday afternoon_ )

Kaneki was drying a coffee cup with a cloth rag as it was just him in Anteiku for now. When he finished, Kaneki remembered his talk with Shuu two days ago.

"He didn't seem all that bad to me."

Kaneki then remembered how Shuu hummed P.Y.T in such an uncomfortable manner.

" _Then again…_ "

The staff door was then opened by Yoshimura.

"You're done for the day, Kaneki."

"Yes sir."

"Before you go however, I want to ask you something."

"Yes sir?"

"Did you go to the 9th ward yesterday by any chance?"

"How did you…?"

"I apologize if it seems like I don't trust you. Rather it's out of curiosity."

Kaneki did not feel that Yoshimura was spying on him out of ill intent. He answered his question with no resentment.

"I…went to this gym that also had a dojo. I wanted to learn how to defend myself. In case any more…bad things happened."

"I see. I don't blame you. Sometimes mutant on ghoul violence happens time to time. It's just that Yomo wanted to teach you self-defense lessons himself."

"On account of the doves, right? Touka told me about them."

"Well, rather he wanted to talk with you first. I just assumed that's what he wanted to do afterwards."

"I can still go to Yomo if you like."

"Thank you, Kaneki."

"Have a good evening."

xxxxxx

Kaneki went to the back of the coffee shop to see Yomo waiting for him. What mildly surprised Kaneki was seeing Yomo in casual clothing.

" _Usually he wears nothing but black_."

"Yomo?"

Yomo turned around to see Kaneki in front of him.

"Yoshimura asked me to keep an eye on you."

"Right. Because of the doves."

"That. And Tsukiyama is interested in you. Don't forget he's trouble."

"Touka told me that much. And that other thing he did…"

Yomo was confused as to what he was talking about.

"What other thing?"

"Forget it. It'll take too long to explain."

Yomo then just sighed at how weird Kaneki acted.

"Well, you coming or what?"

"Sure, but to where?"

"There's this place I want you to get to know."

After walking about a block and a half, Yomo and Kaneki eventually arrived at a bar called Helter Skelter. Once the two stepped inside, Kaneki saw both Uta and a red-haired woman.

"Yomo."

"Uta. Itori."

Uta sees Kaneki arriving after Yomo.

"Oh. You brought him."

"Is that him?!"

Kaneki slightly jumped at how Itori reacted to his arrival.

"You…know about me?"

Said Kaneki as both he and Yomo took a seat at the bar.

"You're a little famous here. Not to mention Uta talked about how you admired his work and even wanted to see yours. Anyhow, I'm delighted that you came to see me. I'm Itori and this is my bar. Welcome."

Kaneki was taken back by Itori's enthusiasm at first, but believed her to be friendly.

"Thanks for having me."

Itori could tell how tense Kaneki was being around her.

"Loosen up, kiddo. No need to stress. It's not like I won't bite you."

Attempting to getting rid of his nervousness, Kaneki asked the three of them a question.

"So, have you guys known each other long?"

Itori was more than happy to share their story.

"Long enough to be stuck with each other. But way back when Ren and Uta weren't exactly on the best of terms. Because the two of them went at each other so often, the 4th ward was more of a shithole than it is right now."

Uta added clarity to the conversation.

"Thankfully, we've moved on from those days. Right, Ren?"

"I guess."

Itori then talked about what Yomo was like before now.

"Once upon a time, Ren was an absolute wild man."

Kaneki was amazed by Itori's claim.

"For real? He was that bad?"

Uta expanded on Itori's claim.

"Touka reminds of when Renji whenever she blows up a gasket."

Itori laughed a little at what Uta said.

"You're so totally right."

"Now that's just terrifying."

Yomo decided to move on to another subject.

"Enough about the past. Itori, you remember what we talked about earlier?"

Itori got up from her seat.

"I almost forgot!"

She then walked to the bartender side of the bar, took out a wine glass and bottle, then pours Kaneki a drink.

"Here. Bottoms up."

Kaneki puts up both of his hands as a sign of refusal.

"No thanks. I'm still underage."

"Silly boy. Don't worry. It's not wine."

Itori then spilled the drink at Kaneki.

"What the heck?"

Itori then reached for the eyepatch and ripped it from Kaneki's head. She saw his black eye manifest.

"Ren, it's just like you said. A one-eyed mutant."

Kaneki hid his face in shame.

"Don't look so sad. It's just us ghouls here."

Itori first gives him a rag to dry himself. Then she gives Kaneki a cup of coffee as an apology.

"Take this. No hard feelings."

Kaneki takes a sip to return the sentiment.

"Uta told me about your mutation. Metal claws. Very hardcore. Makes me wonder if the one-eyed ghoul is actually a mutant after all. Like Kaneki here."

"Who knows?"

Said Yomo in a serious tone. After hearing Itori saying something about a one-eyed ghoul, Kaneki asked for more on the subject.

"Wait. There's someone like me out there?"

"Oh. Have I piqued your curiosity? Great. First, a question. What would happen if a ghoul and a human fell in love with each other? What would you get?"

"A hybrid of the two of them, right?"

Itori's expression went from enthusiastic to melancholy.

"You'd get a corpse."

Kaneki was shocked to hear that from Itori.

"Both sides wouldn't mix. Even if they managed to conceive a child, it wouldn't last long. On the other hand, if a human and a mutant created a child, there's a 50/50 chance it would take after one of the parents."

"What about a mutant and a ghoul?"

"Human society wouldn't allow that. Despite mutants having equal rights, if one of your kind fell in love with a ghoul, that mutant would be sentenced to death. Not to mention…"

"What?"

Said Kaneki as he was confused to know why a mutant and a ghoul couldn't fall in love with each other.

"Mutant society has this unspoken taboo about falling in love with a ghoul. If you decided to fall in love with one, Kaneki, they would cast you out to the human world. And you would feel the hatred that humanity felt for your kind not that long ago."

Kaneki then remembered his history classes that showed video footage. Video that showed how a mutant hunt was conducted. How, despite having powers, the mutants in those videos were subjected to the most abhorrent treatment by humans. Some of them were shot by guns on the spot. Others were stabbed until they died from too much blood loss. And then there were some who were subjected to lynching. Needless to say, they were harrowing to watch.

"It's not surprising, really. Imagine a ghoul who possesses the X-gene. He'd be dangerous beyond imagination. That's how the world works, unfortunately. Still, you'd hear stories about those who beat the odds and have a healthy ankle-biter."

"Just like me. They'd be a half-breed."

Itori took a sip of her water.

"For some reason, ghoul half-breeds are superior to a full-on ghoul. How you can tell which is a half-breed is the one red eye they manifest at the smell of blood. Then again, these are little more than urban legends."

Kaneki thought a little more on what a hybrid of ghoul and mutant would be like. Then, he asked Itori if she knew a certain somebody.

"If you don't mind…"

"More? Of course not. Ask away."

"Do you…know about a person named Rize Kamishiro?"

Itori now had a smug look on her face when she heard Kaneki mention a woman's name.

"Any special reason?"

"Well…she's the reason why I have this now."

Kaneki pointed to the ghoul eye that was still active.

"Ever since I've met her, my life was hell in a handbasket for a good while."

"Hm-hm."

"But even after all that's happened, I don't know anything about her."

Kaneki stared into his coffee cup, wondering who Rize even was before he met her. All he knew of Rize was that she was a beautiful woman and desired to be loved by her. Only to turn out to be the ghoul equivalent of a siren.

"Fair enough. From what I gathered; she was a troublemaker from the get-go. The only thing more mysterious than her death is her 'resurrection.'"

"Resurrection?!"

Said Kaneki, shocked to hear that Rize might still be alive.

"Did you know some ghouls work in hospitals? Great place to get fresh stock. Of course, some hospitals are rich enough to get those RC detectors the doves use in their headquarters. The one Rize walked out from, not so much. But back to her death."

"How is her death mysterious? It was just an accident."

"The biggest glutton in the 20th ward, crushed to death in a bizarre twist of fate? Do you honestly believe that?"

Kaneki then remembered the events of that day. What Itori heard was completely different from what he experienced. He decided not to speak about what really happened that day due to additional details he doesn't know. Even now.

"Well, when you put it like that…"

"Exactly. You see, there are more than a few rumors floating around that someone was spotted on top of the building site at the same time of your accident."

Kaneki was shocked to hear that someone else was at the construction site where Rize tried to eat him.

"Are you sure?"

"Some have even said that he caused it to happen."

Now Kaneki was utterly at a loss for words.

" _Was this planned after all? Or was there someone following us? If so, who was it that someone wanted? Me or Rize?_ "

"Are…are you telling me…it wasn't a coincidence?"

"All I'm saying is that someone wanted Rize dead. Or worse…"

Yomo decided to intervene in the conversation.

"That's enough."

Yomo could tell that Kaneki was tensing up from listening to what she was telling him.

"Lighten up. They are called rumors for a reason. No need to put stock in them."

Kaneki was in thought when Itori shared what she heard about the night when Rize attempted to eat him. Only to turn into a fight between a predatory ghoul and a rage-induced mutant. Itori then turned to another subject of conversation.

"By the way, Ren. I got the info you wanted about Kaneki's _Shifu_."

Both were shocked to hear Itori say Shifu in an inflected manner. Whereas Kaneki was surprised to hear why Yomo wanted to know more about Danny, Yomo was one of annoyance.

"I told you later on."

"Oh, come on Ren. I almost never get a request of this type from you. It was delicious in all the right ways."

Kaneki turned his attention to Yomo.

"Yomo, how come you want to know more about Mr. Rand?"

"Rand? As in Daniel Rand?"

Asked Yomo after hearing Kaneki saying the last name of his kung-fu teacher.

"You know him?"

"Not personally, but I saw that name in magazines some time ago."

"If you let me do my job Ren, I'd more than happy to tell."

Yomo looked at Kaneki for a while, believing he had betrayed his trust. He explained himself.

"Kaneki look. It's not just that I don't trust you. Yoshimura even told me about the promise you made to him when he had Touka bring both you and your friend in. But the world is treacherous for us ghouls. We don't know who to trust about our ghoul nature. Anonymity is our only defense against the humans. Especially the doves. So, forgive me if you thought I doubted you."

"I…understand where you're coming from. I may not know how dangerous the doves are, but I'll take your word if you did this because of them."

"It was."

Although he did not show it, Yomo appreciated Kaneki's understanding his reason why.

"Itori. If you may."

"Yes sir! From what I was able to learn about this Danny Rand is a whole of things."

"So, he is trouble then?"

Asked Yomo, wondering if Danny was someone Kaneki should avoid.

"Not trouble. Legend."

Yomo was surprised to hear Itori describe someone that way.

"Legend?"

"Even though he's not a mutant, it's said that he possesses powers."

Kaneki was amazed by that claim.

"He does? Really?"

"What kind?"

Both Kaneki and Yomo were curious to different degrees.

"This is what I was able to get. Once upon a time, there was a buddhist temple hidden from the world. Very few outsiders know where it is, let alone enter it. He was one of the few to not just enter it, but become one of its mightiest warriors. He became so strong that he eventually earned the honor to achieve their greatest power."

Amazed by the story, Kaneki asked,

"What power was it?"

What Itori said next, she said with gravitas and an epic voice.

"The Iron Fist!"

The room stood in an awkward silence.

"That's what he calls his dojo but…"

"I mean it. It's more than the name of his dojo. It's what his power is called. The temple he trained in gave him the ability to turn his chi into a weapon."

"Like in Dragon ball?"

"Exactly! When he summons his chi, it causes his hands to give a golden glow. The trial he had to go through was signified by the dragon tattoo on his chest."

Kaneki remembered the dragon symbol he saw on Danny's hoodie.

"Dragon tattoo?"

"That mark was given to him as a sign of his worthiness. After that, he returned to our world to fight an ancient crime organization called the Hand."

"The Hand?"

"Although his mission was to destroy them, he couldn't do it alone. When he returned to New York, he discovered that the Hand were planning something big. All done with almost no one knowing about it. Not the Avengers, Not Shield, hell not even Interpol or other major Intelligence agencies across the world."

"So, how did he stop them?"

Itori took another sip of her water.

"It's no secret that New York is a hotbed of superhero origins. Chances are, he encountered people who possess superhuman abilities like him who were also affected by the Hand, to one degree or another. He eventually found three people with powers. One that one of my sources knew of while the other two…I couldn't get their names but rather what they have."

"Who and what were they?"

Itori was mildly charmed by Kaneki's fascination of her story.

"The two nameless both had superhuman strength, but what set them apart was one could jump seriously high while the other had invulnerable skin. And the last one was a hero who went toe-to-toe with the Hand more than a few times. He was called…The Devil of Hell's Kitchen. The three of them eventually defeated the Hand with only one casualty. The devil himself."

Kaneki was in awe of how much he didn't knew about Danny while Yomo just brooded over what Itori gave him. Uta noticed this from his side of the bar.

"And that's the end of this story. Mostly because that's was all could gather."

Yomo got up from his seat.

"Thank you, Itori."

He then walked towards the door with Kaneki following him shortly.

"Really, Itori. That was awesome to hear. I never knew that Danny did all those things."

"Really, Kaneki. Just remember…"

"Rumors, I know. But it was awesome to hear all the same. Later."

As both Kaneki and Yomo exited the bar, Uta commented on how Kaneki acted when he heard what Itori told him.

"Did you see the look on his face when you told him all that? It was like seeing a kid watch Ultraman for the first time."

"Thing is, there was this one part I left out that actually gives truth to the glowing fist thing."

"You mean that part was real?"

"Oh yes. Turns out, Danny Rand lived in Japan for a time. Yes, it was to take down the main headquarters of the Hand, but there was this other thing that made him stay here."

"What other thing?"

Itori took one last sip of her water.

"When he was here, he was in a romantic relationship. With a ghoul."

Uta looked surprised when he heard that last sentence.

"Really?"

"Not just any ghoul. She works for Yoshimura."

xxxxxx

Yomo and Kaneki eventually parted ways and walked back to their respective homes. Although Kaneki was amazed to hear the story of his Shifu, he was also concerned that Rize might still be out there.

" _If what Itori said was true about that day, then maybe…_ "

 _That person was also behind why her guts were inside you?_

" _Why would you say that? You make it sound like…_ "

 _Kid, you not the only victim of a mad scientist wanting to experiment on your body._

" _Phrasing._ "

 _This is not a joke._

" _I know. Hearing about how this was actually planned…It give me more questions than answers._ "

 _Just call it a night. Worry about it tomorrow._

" _Yeah. I really need some sleep._ "

xxxxxx

Sunday eventually came, and Kaneki was at the café with Shuu. However, it would not be before long that thoughts about Rize still walking about in Tokyo came back to his mind. So much so, the silence made Shuu a little concerned.

"Kaneki? Kaneki."

He snapped himself back into reality after hearing Shuu say his name two times.

"…Sorry. Lost myself for a moment."

"What's bothering you, friend?"

"Just…uh…may I ask you something?"

"Go right ahead."

"What did you and Rize talk about?"

"Miss Kamishiro? Well, as you may recall, we were both fond of reading. But we also talked about… dining as well."

Kaneki could pick up a change of tone in Shuu's voice. Shuu remembered when Rize rejected his offer for dinner.

xxxxxx

( _Flashback_ )

"I appreciate the invitation, Tsukiyama. But I'm not interested being one of your group of high-class wannabe foodies. It's not just me _._ "

"Mais Pourquoi?! Tell me, why would you deny yourself the taste of quality?"

"If you have to fit your food on a plate, it won't do it for me. Don't get me wrong. As a binge-eater, I love a prime cut of flesh as much as the next ghoul. But when it comes to the idea of creating high-brow versions of their entrees _…_ "

Shuu felt shocked at first at how Rize dismissed they way he prepares his meals.

"It's more like a sick joke than high society _._ "

Rize giggled at how seriously Shuu tried to make eating flesh look like fine dining.

xxxxxx

Kaneki saw an angry look on Shuu's face that intensified with every second. Kaneki could tell that Rize did something to Shuu from him to hold his coffee cup with one hand and steadily crushing it as the coffee spilled out from the cracks.

"Hey. You okay?"

Kaneki attempted to get the cup from Shuu's hand, only to be cut by one of the crack's sharp edges. Shuu was shocked to see this.

"My apologies! I can't be I was so careless."

Shuu gave Kaneki his handkerchief as a means to stop the bleeding.

"It's fine. Just a small cut. It'll fix itself."

Although the cut did indeed fix itself as Kaneki said, blood still spilled on the handkerchief. Shuu could smell the blood, and it stirred a sense of euphoria.

"Kaneki…allow me to make it up to you. I know of a place where Miss Kamishiro like to visit. Care to go?"

" _That could lead somewhere…_ "

"Sure."

"Then let's go. No time like the present. Before that, how's your finger?"

"Oh. It's already healed itself."

"Really? How? We haven't even put a band-aid or even some…"

Kaneki removed the handkerchief to reveal that the cut did indeed heal itself. Kaneki gave a nervous laugh when Shuu saw no cut on his finger anymore.

"I've…. should've told you sooner. I'm a mutant."

In his mind, Shuu was piecing together how a mutant's blood could give such an intoxicating aroma.

"And to make things worse, my blood got all over your handkerchief. Let me wash it for…"

Shuu instantly grabbed his handkerchief from Kaneki's hand.

"It's…quite alright Kaneki. I'm not offended. After all, I'm the one who cause this mess. Let me take responsibility for it. It's in good hand, don't worry."

Little did Kaneki knew that Shuu's hands were mildly shaking as he held the blood-stained handkerchief.

"Before we go, I need to use the men's room."

"Sure. If you got to…"

"Thank you!"

Shuu instantly went to the café's men's room, which left Kaneki confused as to the rush. Once inside, Shuu washed his face to clean himself of the sweat Kaneki did not notice. He then took a deep breath to relax himself.

"I almost slipped up back there. One more spook, and the fawn would scurry away. Smooth and steady. That's how you land your quarry, Shuu Tsukiyama. A mutant he may be, there's something about Kaneki that makes want to crave him."

Shuu takes out the handkerchief that had Kaneki's blood on it. He slowly inches it towards his nose. Once it was close enough, Shuu took a deep, long smell of Kaneki's blood. The first sniff filled him with bliss.

"What a tender and…mellow harmony!"

With more sniffs of the blood would Shuu Tsukiyama enter a state of pure ecstasy.

"WHAT PURE AND RAVISHING ELATION! DISCOVERING SUCH A TREAT! IT'S AS IF I'VE TOUCHED A SHINING STAR!"

He then heard a knock on the door. The moment now became the situational equivalent of a record scratch.

"Uh, Tsukiyama? You okay in there?"

"Y-Y-Yes, of course, Kaneki."

Shuu gave a hyper-nervous laugh.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, everyone outside the restroom could hear you in there."

"Really, everyone?"

"One of the customers thought you were having an orgasm, and asked one of the wait staff 'I'll have whatever the guy in the men's room just had.'"

Shuu's face went almost completely red for one moment. He then composed himself and exited the men's room.

"Well, perhaps we should be on our way then?"

"Great minds think alike."

As the two exited the café, Shuu walked behind Kaneki for a while.

" _I just know how to prepare him._ "

xxxxxx

Once the two made to the place where Rize frequented, Kaneki could not believe how extravagant it looked. It looked like something out of a European palace from the way it looked inside. Then, a small number of servants appeared in front of Kaneki and Shuu.

"Good afternoon, master Shuu."

Said the servants simultaneously. Kaneki was perplexed by how the servants knew Shuu.

"Rize and I met here for the first time. Kaneki, there's something you should know."

"There's a dress code?"

"How do you know?"

Kaneki looked at how the servants were dressed.

"Just a lucky guess."

"Thankfully, this place is accommodating. Jean-Cousteau?"

One of the servants walked towards the two.

"Qui?"

"Please Kaneki ready for tonight, s'il vous plait?"

"Qui, monsieur. Right this way."

Jean led Kaneki to a bathroom with a shower and seemingly endless hair and skin-care products.

"Master Shuu requests you take two showers and apply moisturizer afterwards."

Shuu started to have an uneasy feeling. Nevertheless, he did what Jean instructed him to do. As he was finishing up with his second shower, Jean appeared in front of his shower door.

"Monsieur Kaneki. I have left some fresh clothes for you. I hope they are to your liking."

"I'm sure they're fine. Thanks."

As Kaneki finished his shower, first he applied some moisturizer on his body as it was requested of him. Then he put on the clothes Jean left behind earlier. The clothes were a white long shirt, black suit and pants with a string tie. Once he was done, Kaneki exited the bathroom to find a maid waiting outside for him. What made her unusual was the face that she wore a faceless mask.

"Um…"

"I was instructed to guide you."

"Will I be meeting with Shuu sometime?"

"Please follow me."

As Kaneki followed the maid, a part of him began to feel irritated.

" _I don't want to seem rude, but I feel I'm…_ "

 _Getting the runaround?_

" _Pretty much._ "

 _I'm surprised you didn't notice all the red flags._

" _What red flags? I don't see any here._ "

 _Exactly._

" _What are you getting at?!_ "

"We're here."

Kaneki snapped himself back to see the maid stop in front of a door.

"Please wait here. I'll be back shortly."

As the maid opened the door, Kaneki saw two other people inside. One was a middle-aged man and the other was a plus-sized woman.

"Hello there."

"H-Hi."

"I thought it was just gonna be the two of us. I'm surprised to see high school student joining us."

"I'm in college actually."

"My mistake. My name's Komachi. I'm a writer for the magazine 'Tokyo Gourmet.' I'm here to do an editorial."

"Sounds great."

Kaneki looked around the room to see how lavish it looked.

" _Rize sure did have extravagant taste…_ "

Komachi looked at Kaneki observing the room.

"Fancy. I know, but I never would've thought this place was a restaurant."

"You…came here with somebody, right?"

"Yes. Although we didn't talk much. We just met today, and he invited me to this place for some reason."

Kaneki now felt a little curious. But he would brush it aside as the masked maid came back, pushing a cart carrying a teapot, teacups, and cookies.

"I have brought some coffee before the meal. Please enjoy these snacks as you wait."

Kaneki, Komachi, and the woman each took a cup, filled it with coffee, and also took a cookie. Komachi took a bite, but felt something was off about the snack.

"This cookie feels dry. Not to mention the taste is off for some reason."

Kaneki almost took a sip of his coffee, but the smell was off for some reason. He declined to taste it. Then the room went dark all of a sudden.

" _I got a bad feeling about this._ "

 _Oh, so now you notice?_

"What's going on?"

Said Komachi. Then the floor began to shake. The woman saw the ceiling getting closer while the chandelier slowly sliding out of the way of the three.

"The floor is rising."

The woman was correct in saying that as the floor beneath the three slowly rose to the hole in the ceiling. Once through the hole, the trio saw nothing but darkness for a while. Lights turned on but went around an erratic fashion while a drumroll was heard. The light eventually converged on their location as the drumroll ended.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Thank you for waiting. We present you all of you tonight's main course! Prepare your palates as we present three cuts of meat."

Kaneki now realized what was happening. The person announcing the three was a masked MC speaking to the audience with a microphone.

"To our left is an editor of a gourmet magazine. He never fails to go the gym, even on workdays. No doubt his body possesses a chewy texture."

Komachi felt like he was being auctioned off for food. He was not that far off.

"In contrast, to our right is some portly female meat. She refused to take a shower earlier. As a result, her body is covered in excessive oils. Those will be removed after the show."

The woman shouted a name to the audience.

"SOUTA!"

One of the audience members responded to that name.

"Hi, Ami! How's the view from down there?!"

"YOU LIED TO ME! I thought this dinner was about you proposing to me!"

"As if I could ever fall in love with a pig!"

Ami now felt both heartbroken and furious.

"YOU PIECE OF SHIT! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU AFTER THIS!"

"You can bitch and oink all you want, but you're still going to be eaten."

"Lastly, we have something exquisite. A mutant!"

The audience went silence for a moment as soon as the word mutant was heard.

"A mutant?"

"They usually taste repulsive, do they?"

Both Komachi and Ami huddled near Kaneki for their safety. Kaneki was initially curious at first.

"Is that true? Are you a mutant?"

"What are your powers? Can they kill them?"

"And now, the grandmaster of tonight's meal, !"

The lights now focused on a balcony above both the three and the audience. What slowly came out of the balcony was Shuu in a mask with a woman on each arm.

"Good evening, esteemed guests. Normally the flesh of a mutant offers a disgusting flavor, but this one is different."

Kaneki stood in shock that Shuu was planning to something like this to him.

 _As I said before, your funeral._

"What drew me to this particular homo superior was this rare scent. Normally the blood of a mutant is easily ignored. However, within this mutant's body is the blood of a ghoul. Creating so massively forbidden, yet so doused in ecstasy you could lose yourself to the sin of his existence."

Shuu dropped the handkerchief to one section of the audience beneath him. The ghouls within that section instantly caught the scent and clamored to grab the handkerchief. One of them eventually did and sniffed it immediately. His reaction was the same as Shuu's.

"My god! IT'S BEAUTIFUL!"

"I never smell anything like this in my life!"

One woman caught a sniff and almost orgasmed on the spot. Komachi spoke to Kaneki about it.

"They really like your blood."

"Inside, I'm freaking out for my life."

"You and me both."

Shuu could see how the ghouls reacted to Kaneki's blood.

"Have I enticed your taste buds? Then let us enjoy the wonderous feast ahead."

The audience cheered at the upcoming slaughter. Within Kaneki's mind, he felt the harrowing sting of treachery.

" _I thought he really want to be my friend. He set me up._ "

"Now ladies and gentlemen! LET US RELISH IN THIS SCINTILATING DELIGHT!"

The room now fully lit up to reveal an underground coliseum. The MC continued speaking.

"Tonight's chef preparing our mouth-watering meal was provided to us by Ms. A!"

The audience cheered for the ghoul, to which she waved in return. She had blond hair while wearing a fitting red dress and donned green round goggles.

"Pardon me, Ms. A. But, who do you have joined with you to prepare our meal?"

"My all-time favorite. Little Taro."

The gate behind the two slowly opened to reveal a hulking person bearing one massive surgical saw on one hand while also carrying a chef cleaver large enough to split a person. He wore overall that barely fitted him while also wearing a red latex glove and red drapes, covering his whole face. As Taro approached the three, Komachi slightly laughed.

"Excuse me? Why are you laughing?"

Asked Kaneki, wondering if Komachi was becoming mad.

"It's an event restaurant."

Both Kaneki and Ami were bewildered by that statement.

"One time, I went to a place like this. It's designed so you can both enjoy the food and the theatrics."

Kaneki was astounded to hear Komachi compare this to dinner theatre. Taro then spoke to the three.

"Pleasure to meet you, teeny people."

"Likewise, my good sir. What kind of show do you have in store?"

"I'm gonna slice you into food!"

Taro raised his saw high to slice Komachi vertically in half. Kaneki was seeing this and felt petrified. His mind still racing from the shock of Shuu Tsukiyama leading him here, just to eat him. This made Kaneki remember the day he met Rize. How she used his love for books to lure him into a trap in order to eat him alive. The only thing that saved him was his mutant abilities. Nevertheless, he felt utter despair consuming him.

" _Why? Why did I let this happen again?_ "

 _It's because you should've listened to that Touka girl from the beginning. Now look at you! You're in an underground coliseum, surrounded by these vultures! Not to mention you have to protect the humans who were also duped to being here._

Kaneki snapped back into reality to see Komachi about to be killed by Little Taro.

 _So, stop acting like the victim! FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE!_

The next sound that would be heard would almost silence the room.

SKINT!

Komachi saw what stood between him and absolute death was Kaneki as he blocked Taro's saw with his metal claws. It was only for a split-second, but Kaneki managed to save his life.

"Get out of the way! NOW!"

As soon as Komachi did, Kaneki pushed away the saw, inadvertently breaking it apart. The audience gasped at the sight.

"Good god, that mutant broke it apart."

"And those claws…"

"Are they made of quinque steel?"

Taro was silent for a while before crying loudly like a baby.

"Mama! The freak broke my toy!"

Ami rebutted this.

"He's a freak? Have you looked in a mirror?"

What Ami said made Taro mad and yelled like an animal to express it.

"MEAN FAT HUMAN LADY SAY SOMETHING MEAN! FAT HUMAN LADY NEED TO DIE!"

Ms. A gave encouragement to Taro's anger.

"Yes Taro! Cut that mean fat human into pieces!"

Taro ran towards the three. Kaneki gave both Komachi and Ami an order.

"Run to a safe corner! NOW!"

The two did exactly what Kaneki said. Taro inched closer to where Kaneki was.

"Catch the humans! Get them, Taro baby!"

"YES MAMA!"

(Play _Exo - Brandon Yates_ )

Now in front of Kaneki, Taro now used his large chef cleaver.

"OUT OF MY WAY, FREAK!"

"Make me, man-baby!"

Taro made a large vertical swing with his cleaver, but Kaneki dodged to the left to avoid it.

" _Got to trip this guy up._ "

Kaneki took off his coat to use it like a how a matador uses a red cape against a bull. The tactic worked as Taro ran right into the coat. With Taro lying on his back, Kaneki took the opportunity to get on top of him. Once he did, Kaneki retracted his claws, opting to instead to punch Taro as hard as he can.

" _Shifu watched me lift a quarter of a ton. So, this should hurt all the same._ "

Kaneki started to punch Taro in the face. He swung his arms as swift as he could while maintaining enough force to cause some permanent damage. This caused the audience to boo at Kaneki while Ms. A yelled at Taro.

"GET UP, TARO! DON'T LET THE FREAK BEAT YOU!"

Taro instantly got, causing Kaneki to fall hard on the floor. He looks up to see Taro raise his cleaver at him. Kaneki rolled to the left to dodge it. The two stared at each other. Until Taro looked for the humans he was supposed to kill. He sees them trying to open the gate he came through.

"Nobody leaves playtime!"

Taro tried to run towards the humans, only to be dealt a punch to the gut by Kaneki. This cause him to keel over in pain. This made his face reach to Kaneki's height, which caused Taro to be punched in the face again. Taro then ran forwards like a bull, making Kaneki hold to the cloth mask covering Taro's face. Taro eventually crashed to the wall near the gate. The impact caused a dent to which Kaneki stuck to for a while. Ms. A cheered at that, as well as the rest of the audience.

"Way to go, Taro baby! Now SLICE UP THAT MUTANT!"

"SLICE! SLICE! SLICE! SLICE!"

Taro then began to dig into Kaneki's body with his cleaver. After at least five powerful swings, Kaneki appeared dead. The ghoul audience cheered while Komachi and Ami felt their deaths were nigh. While Shuu felt curious.

" _Strange. His body healed that cut he had earlier today…Maybe that mutation only healed minor injuries._ "

Taro then turned his attention to Komachi and Ami.

"Yeah! I killed the freak, now I get to cut you humans! Slice and Dice! Slice and Dice!"

Taro laughed like a child enjoying his favorite hobby. Unbeknownst to him, Kaneki's life-threatening injuries began to heal themselves. The crowd's cheering slowly began to fade as they saw Kaneki slowly standing up. The audience whispered to themselves about what they were seeing.

"No way."

"He should've died from that."

"He is a freak."

"TARO!"

Yelled Ms. A to get Taro's attention.

"Yes mama?!"

Taro then felt a deep cut dealt to his knee. This caused him to yell out in pain. He looked around to see Kaneki standing there. With one key difference. A difference that made both the audience and Shuu become absolutely stunned.

"One red eye?"

"Impossible!"

"There's no way."

"He's a one-eyed ghoul!"

"How can a mutant be a one-eyed ghoul?!"

Upon the high balcony, Shuu Shuddered at the sight of Kaneki's one red eye manifesting itself.

"A one-eyed ghoul? Under my nose all this time?"

Shuu began to agonize over what he had done to Kaneki. The women that were with him tried to comfort him, but no avail. Shuu then began to go a little mad over the discovery of Kaneki. Meanwhile, Ms. A began to grow impatient about Taro's failure to kill Kaneki.

"TARO, KILL HIM ALREADY!"

But it was too late for Taro to finish the job. Kaneki grabbed, with both arms, Taro's uninjured leg and began to lift him. He then began to swing Taro in a rotational manner. Little by little, Kaneki began to pick up speed.

"Mama! I'm getting dizzy! Please make it stop!"

"LET ME OBLIGE YOU!"

Yelled Kaneki as he stopped spinning and threw Taro up in the air. He stayed in the air for a full five seconds. All the audience members witnessed it with gaping mouths. Kaneki then crouched with his claws out. Before Taro descended back to earth, Kaneki entered his berserker rage. With a little help.

" _Get me so angry that my claws move faster than people can see them!_ "

 _You got it._

Both of his eyes now turned black and white. With a loud, primal roar, Kaneki began to rip Taro apart with his claws at such a rapid place. The audience, Komachi, Ami, and Shuu were all astounded by how Kaneki shredded Taro to bloody pieces. Kaneki also shouted the word 'ora' while doing this. Eventually, he finished with a double claw slash that sliced Taro in two.

(end music)

The audience fell completely silent over seeing a large ghoul of Ms. A's creation die at the hands of mutant. Kaneki eventually cooled down with exhaustion following soon after. Both Komachi and Ami went to his side.

"Thank you so much for saving us. That was absolutely amazing."

"No problem."

Kaneki breathed heavily with Komachi resting his hand on his back. While Ami boasted to the ghoul audience members.

"You goddamn ghouls better let us out! Or he'll do to you what he did to him!"

The ghoul audience members then booed at the three.

"They look like they're ready to eat us! You've fully rested or what?"

Whispered Ami, fearing that some of the ghouls would come down to the coliseum and tried to do what Taro failed to do. However, that would not happen as Shuu entered the coliseum himself. This made both Komachi and Ami fear for the worst. Until Shuu spoke to his guests.

"Forgive me. This upset was my fault entirely. Although not by design, for you see I had no idea that we had such a living legend. However, I have no intention to deny all of you the feast I have promised you. I offer this compromise."

Shuu points to the corpse of Taro.

"This prize pet. It would be a shame for him to go to waste. Why, our one-eyed ghoul here was more than kind enough to cut him in appropriate serving sizes."

The audience cheered to Shuu's offer while Ms. A cursed at the corpse of Little Taro. Shuu slowly approached Kaneki while two servants acted on his orders and escorted Komachi and Ami out of the restaurant through the gate. Kaneki tried to go after them, but was still too tired to even get up.

"Did you enjoy that, Kaneki? I know I did."

Kaneki was at a loss for words at how Shuu tried to frame this as some sort of practical joke.

"I hope you realize this was all in good fun."

Shuu then whispered to Kaneki's ear.

"Nevertheless, please forgive me. Let's put it behind us."

As soon as Shuu faced Kaneki, Kaneki took a small breath, tilted his head slightly back, and rammed his forehead into his face. This caused Shuu to fall on his back unconscious. Kaneki felt some of his strength back. Just enough to walk towards the open gate leading outside of the restaurant. Two servants blocked the entrance and expressed a desire to kill Kaneki for what he had done to Shuu. He was having none of that as he extended the claws on his right hand and placed it near one of the servant's neck.

"Get the hell of my way."

The servants slowly backed away from Kaneki as he exited the restaurant.

 _What have we learned today_?

" _Stay the hell away from ghoul metrosexuals._ "

While the guests were currently preoccupied feasting the corpse of Little Taro, Shuu regained consciousness but remained lying on the floor.

" _He was not wrong to react that way. Some part of me knew he was no fool. But it's only a matter of time. Pur, delicieux Kaneki. I'll have you all to myself. Soon._ "

 **And done! Thank you all for reading. As I said before the start of this chapter, I integrated parts of the manga chapters covering when Kaneki first met Tsukiyama. I hope you like how I also brought in Danny Rand, AKA the Iron Fist. I wanted to keep most of the details as little as possible because I had an idea of how this character would be part of the story. I wanted him to tell Kaneki the full version of his story. And if you're wondering which female ghoul he was involved with in his past, stay tuned for the next chapter! Don't forget to review after reading, and share with your friends. See you next time.**


	6. Ch 5

**Welcome back, readers. I hoped you enjoyed the last chapter as this one would lead to more developments in Kaneki's journey. Shuu Tsukiyama isn't done with him yet, and would later commit an act that would force him to make an alliance with someone who tried to kill his friend Hide while both teacher and student would learn more about each other. Meanwhile, other forces plan to make themselves known to Kaneki.**

Ch. 5 – Rage

Kaneki was being pulled back by giant masks in a plane of existence surrounded by absolute darkness. The masks draw him closer to them, laughing as Kaneki yelled for help.

"SOMEBODY HELP ME, PLEASE!"

Then, a figure emerges from the darkness, only to turn out to be Shuu Tsukiyama. This caused Kaneki to feel deeper despair.

"Sweet Kaneki. I can't wait to slice you up into BITE-SIZED PIECES!"

Kaneki felt like he was going to die until he felt something inside of him surge. His body was convulsing as he slowly transformed into something animalistic. Kaneki now transformed into a humanoid wolverine. The masks now had human bodies attached to them. Kaneki engaged in a slaughter as one by one, the people that wore masks were killed by Kaneki in his feral state. Some of the masks leapt off the faces of the bodies to reveal ghouls. Kaneki then turned his sights to Shuu as he lunged towards him. Shuu screamed in fear for his life. Only it wasn't real, as Kaneki would soon discover. He woke up in a sweat from his bed to reveal that it was a bad dream. He breathed heavily and wiped the sweat from his brow. And yet as he did, he discovered that his claws had extended from his knuckles. He feared that what happened at the ghoul restaurant would be the start of something he did not know how to control.

xxxxxx

(Anteiku)

Kaneki was at the café bar, drying a few coffee cups. He listened to the ghouls that came today talking about the state of the 20th ward.

"You heard? Another dove's move in."

"How many does that make?"

"All I know is that's one too many."

"The way things are heading; I'm scared to go out alone."

"Whatever happened to that mutant dove?"

"I asked Yoshimura about that. His bosses reassigned him to the 11th ward."

"You're kidding."

"Sure makes me miss the good old days. Yeah, he had to do his job. But when we followed the rules, he left us alone."

Kaneki continued to watch over the café until Yoshimura entered with Irimi behind him.

"Kaneki."

"Yoshimura."

"Would you remind me what day is it today?"

"Wednesday, sir."

"Right. I remember. You're done for the day. I've asked Irimi to take over from here."

"Yes sir. If I may ask, where's Touka?"

"She's called in sick. So, I'm taking over for her."

Explained Irimi. Kaneki folded up the cloth rag neatly, and proceeded to the employee locker room to change. Before he could, Yoshimura asked him for a favor.

"Kaneki, I know you're short on time, but could you something quick for me?"

"Okay."

"Would you pay Touka a visit?"

"I…don't know if I should."

" _Considering what went down last week_ "

"It won't be too much trouble. She's just upstairs."

Kaneki eventually decided to agree to his request, but not before he changed out of his work uniform. He then went upstairs and soon located the room where Touka lived. At the right side of the door, he found a slide tag that indicated who the room belonged to. The first word written was 'Kirishima'. While the other two words were 'Touka' and 'Ayato.' 'Ayato' struck Kaneki's curiosity.

"Ayato Kirishima? Who's that?"

 _Boyfriend she eloped with?_

" _Oh, shut up_."

Before Kaneki could knock on the door, it was opened by Ryouko, who was leaving Hinami with Touka as she was going off on an errand.

"Okay, I'm leaving now. Thanks for watching over her. Hinami, you be a good girl and do whatever Touka tells you to."

Before she set off, Ryouko was surprised to see Kaneki in front of her.

"Hi there. Heading out?"

"Uh…yes. You here to see Touka?"

"Pretty much. Let me get out of your way."

Kaneki made room for Ryouko to exit the shop. Kaneki then entered Touka's room. She stared at him with a minor glare as Kaneki sat at the table while Hinami wrote in her notebook.

"Well? So, what are doing here?"

"Well, I heard you were sick. So, I'd thought I'd check up on you."

"On a Wednesday?"

"I admit, it's a little…unusual…"

"Hm-mm. So, what'd you bring me?"

Kaneki felt awkward to give a straight answer. So, he went for a joke one to relax the situation.

"Well, I thought about chocolate, but then I remembered you're were on a diet."

Kaneki laughed in an awkward manner. Touka, however, did not found that funny.

" _Okay. Bad idea._ "

 _Could've told you that._

" _Then why didn't you?!_ "

 _I just wanted to see how it would play out._

" _You suck, you know that?!_ "

"Hey Kaneki, what's this word?"

Asked Hinami.

 _Saved by the kid._

Kaneki crawled over to Hinami's side to help her with her learning.

"This is…Orange Osmanthus."

"Is that another flower?"

Touka sighed as she knew that, on some level, this was Yoshimura's way of trying the get the two to get along.

"Hinami. Don't expect him to stay long."

"Why Touka?"

"I have kung-fu class today."

"What's that?"

"It's a form of martial arts."

"Why are you learning that?"

Kaneki attempted to figure out how to explain without traumatizing her.

"Well…. it's for a lot of reasons…"

Before he could continue, another knock on the door was heard again. This surprised the three. Touka walked to the door, but not before Kaneki offered to do it for her.

"I can go get it."

"No. I don't want anyone who comes through get the wrong impression."

She looks through the door eyeglass to discover her friend from school, Yoriko, has arrived.

" _Yoriko? Why is she here?_ "

Touka opens the door for her.

"Yoriko. What brings you here?"

"Sorry. I should've called first. You weren't at school today, so I came here to make sure that you were alright."

"You came by to check on me?"

Yoriko was at a temporary loss for words. Touka sighed at the sight of her friend trying to come up with more excuses. She could even see the pot Yoriko brought with her.

"Come on in."

Yoriko walked behind Touka to later see Kaneki tutoring a little girl with her homework. The sight of a boy in Touka's home made her freak out a little.

"Touka! Don't tell that you…"

Touka blushed at what Yoriko was implying.

"That's just Kaneki. He's a co-worker…"

She then lifts him and pushes him out the door.

"Who has to be somewhere else right now!"

"You got some serious upper-body strength."

"Time to go now, Kaneki!"

"Bye Kaneki. Good luck with you kung-fu."

Said Hinami, casually going along with the situation. Touka then shoved Kaneki out of her home. But not before he said something.

"Just to let you know, I didn't want to make a wrong impression…"

"DON'T YOU HAVE SOMEWHERE TO BE?!"

Touka slams the door in his face.

"Yeah. Good times. You just make a wonderful host."

Said Kaneki in a sarcastic manner.

xxxxxx

(Iron Fist dojo)

Kaneki finally made it to the dojo. Once properly dressed, he then began his training with Danny. Yoshimura was accommodating enough to give him half a day of work, provided that he attended his kung-fu lessons at the appointed time. Since the training hours were close to sunset, Wednesdays were often busy for him. Not to mention, he would have to walk back to his place at night. However, Kaneki was committed. He reminded himself that Kami was open on Saturdays, so he could continue to work on his graffiti art. He did not want to take advantage of the goodwill of both Yoshimura and Danny. And so, Kaneki pushed himself as he learned new moves from his Shifu.

"Today, we're gonna learn cat stance. This stance will give you more flexibility for your kicks. First, a refresher. You remember your fighting stance?"

Kaneki spread his legs vertically apart, as Danny trained him to do. Danny noticed Kaneki was forgetting something.

"And your fists?"

Kaneki put up his arms, but got his arms to resemble a snake.

"Right jab."

Kaneki made a punch while maintaining the snake-like position of his arms.

"Other side."

"Shi de, Shifu."

Kaneki switched positions of his fighting stance.

"It's not enough to have your arms take the shape of the snake, you need to strike like one as well. Maintain the positions of the arms while performing cat stance. This is how you do it."

Danny demonstrated the cat stance, which is crouching while keeping the hands in front as forward knee bended and the foot tiptoed.

"While this is a defensive position, it makes your forward leg ready to perform a front kick."

Danny performed said kick to show Kaneki how it was done.

"Cat stance."

Kaneki performed the stance almost the way Danny showed him.

"Now give me 10 front kicks. Return to regular stance after every kick."

Kaneki did so, although after the ninth and tenth kick, he began to lose balance.

"Find your balance."

He eventually stilled himself while in stance.

"Now we learn Lotus…"

Danny established how it was done. By the time it was already night, Kaneki had already learned certain yoga-based stretching techniques, punching exercises, and how to physically trip a guy in a fight. By the time he was done, Kaneki was exhausted. But also enlightened.

"You're doing pretty well for a beginner."

Danny extended his hand to Kaneki as he caught his breath sitting on the floor.

"Well I had one hell of a teacher."

He grabbed his teacher's hand and got up. As Kaneki breathed easier, he started to remember what Itori told him two weeks ago at the Helter Skelter bar. At first, he hesitated to ask directly. Instead, he opted to ask a small series of questions leading to the one he wanted to ask.

"Shifu?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you used to live in Japan before?"

"Once. But it was a lifetime ago. I came here to…get something done."

"So, where were you originally from?"

"Oh. Uh…New York."

"Wow. Do you miss it?"

"Friends I've made, yes. The city: chaotic, but never boring. That's what I loved about New York. Other than that, I go wherever I feel…I can do the most good."

"What do you mean the most good?"

Kaneki felt like he was getting close to what he wanted to ask.

"What's with the questions, Kaneki?"

"I…"

Kaneki had to switch topics quick to avoid suspicion.

"just wanted to… get to know my teacher better."

"So, can I ask questions about your life them?"

"Sure, but I don't know how much I can give you."

"Why is that?"

Kaneki was careful as to not let Danny know about what he does remember about his past. He did not give Yoshimura that much. As such, he gave the same answer but worded differently.

"You see, I had a case of amnesia seven to eight years ago. It's the reason why I don't remember my parents or my childhood."

"Do you know what caused it?"

"No. I spent almost two years in a mental asylum trying to recover my basic functions."

"I see."

Danny had a regretful look on his face.

"I apologize, Kaneki. I never should've forced you to relive past scars."

"It's quite all right, Shifu. I started this. I'm sorry if I made you think I was interrogating you or something."

The two laughed off the brief tension before Kaneki went to the locker room.

"See you next week, Shifu."

"Likewise. Before you go…"

"Right. I almost forgot."

Both engaged in the warrior's bow by having their respective fists encompassed with an open hand.

"Bi zuotian hao."

"Shi de, Shifu."

"Remember to practice."

As Kaneki exited the gym, he felt something was off after walking a quarter of a block. He stops for a moment, then quickly turned around. Only to see nothing.

 _What's the matter?_

" _Didn't you feel something off?_ "

 _If something was off, I'd know._

Kaneki then resumed his way home.

" _Just my head then._ "

xxxxxx

In a lavish mansion, Shuu Tsukiyama was in the library researching the metal that coated Kaneki's claws.

" _I've checked with Abe about the weapons her scrapper used during that day. Those weapons were made of quinque steel. The only metal on earth that is stronger than that is vibranium._ "

Shuu found a book that contained information about the metal.

" _Whatever we know about the metal is whatever information the Wakandans give us. Thankfully, one of the details we do know about vibranium is proven true. Whenever it is refined into any weapon, it gives off a purple hue._ "

Shuu looks at a picture of an African spear with a spear tip made of vibranium. It confirmed that whenever vibranium is refined, it gives a purple hue. The metal on Kaneki's claws gave a silver hue.

" _So, what is it made of?_ "

Shuu looked through almost book in his library regarding metallurgy. None of them satisfied his searched for answers. He eventually ceased as it made him lose focus on what he really wanted. To taste Kaneki's flesh. He returned to his room and played classical music on his personal speakers. He sat on a sole chair, deep in thought as to how to finally gain Kaneki as his possession.

" _Ugh. I've been obsessing over the metal that covered his claws for too long that I've forgotten the real reason why I want him. The partaking of Kaneki must be savored, but how to do it?_ "

An idea then struck his mind. So much so that Shuu took out the blood-dripped handkerchief.

" _THAT'S IT!_ "

He sniffs it a couple more times to remember the joy of anticipation.

"The perfect meal requires the perfect emotion! Inside of him lies a wellspring of rage that must unleashed in order for the meat to reach…"

Shuu took a deep breath.

"PEAK FLAVOR!"

He then spoke quietly.

"My sweet Kaneki. Forgive me, but your flesh is simply too much to refrain from."

xxxxxx

Kaneki was getting nearer to his apartment as he finally made it to the 20th ward.

"Well, that took a little shorter than usual. If I make it back now, I can get enough sleep. Man, am I tired."

 _Hard day's work._

He then heard someone getting beat up in an alley somewhere. He ran to where the noise came from. As he peeked around the corner, Kaneki saw three tall punks kicking someone.

"Come on. Cry like the bitch you are."

" _Jerks. Wonder who they're beating up?_ "

 _I think they're too busy to notice you. Take a closer look._

Kaneki did to find Nishio getting beat up.

"I think he's down."

"Let's rip his arm off."

"Sound good to me."

" _Welp, I'm conflicted. On one hand, he's an asshat. On the other hand, three against is a dick move. What to do, what to do._ "

 _What to do indeed._

Nishio yelled out in pain when he was dealt one more kick to his chest.

" _I'm not wrong when I said he was an asshat…_ "

 _But three against one? Well that just ain't fair._

Kaneki entered the alleyway and made himself known to the three beating up Nishio.

"Leave him alone."

The three punks noticed someone talking to them, only to find a short kid wearing an eyepatch.

"Get your fun somewhere else."

Nishio sees Kaneki and tell him to get away.

"No…don't do it, kid…"

One of them spoke to Kaneki in a threatening manner.

"What? This piece of shit is a friend of yours or something?"

"Three things to know. One: No, he's not. Two: Piece of shit is too much to describe him. He's more like an asshat."

The three punks laughed when Kaneki called Nishio an asshat.

"And three: You guys against one of him? You really do want everyone to know what big fat pussies you are."

The three punks now became so mad at Kaneki that one of them activated their red eyes and began to fight Kaneki. He dodged the first punched aimed at him. He took his fighting stance taught to him by Danny.

"You really want to try your luck, shrimp?"

The first ghoul punk punched a steel door when Kaneki managed to dodge him. Kaneki continued to dodge the ghoul's attacks at him.

" _His speed is so pathetic, it's laughable._ "

 _Go for a T.K.O. That should scare his friends._

" _Not a bad idea._ "

The first ghoul punk got angrier with each of his punches constantly missing his target.

"You goddamn…"

Kaneki decided to stand still.

 _What are you…?_

" _Just trust me._ "

The first punk finally got a hit on him. His friends cheered. However, Kaneki did not go down. The punk's fist was still on his face while still standing.

"Nice punch. Here's mine."

Kaneki raised his fist and punched the punk right in the gut. The punch carried so much force that it caused the punk to fall over unconscious. This made the other two quiver in fear of him.

 _That seemed to do it._

" _But those other jerks aren't running away._ "

 _Then show them something shiny._

Kaneki knew what that meant, and extended his claws.

 _SNIKT!_

The punks near Nishio saw the claws coming out of Kaneki's knuckles.

"These things can cut through anything."

He then drove his claws through a nearby wall.

"Anything."

The punks then ran for their lives. Kaneki then retracted his claws and proceeded to carry Nishio to wherever he lived. But not before they talked a little.

"Don't need…your help."

"You're getting it anyways. Deal with it."

As Kaneki lifted Nishio to his place, a figure wearing a black hoodie underneath a dark brown trench coat followed the two during the whole way. He was careful as to not let himself be seen. And yet, he grinned as he snarled like a beast.

xxxxxx

As Kaneki got closer to the apartment complex Nishio guided him to, Kaneki then asked which specific apartment he lived in.

"Top floor. Second door near the stairs."

As the two got up the stairs, Nishio asked Kaneki why he was helping him. In his own fashion.

"It's called a grudge, kid. Ever try carrying one?"

"No thanks. Heard they're bad for your health."

He got closer to the apartment Nishio told him to go.

"This your place?"

The door suddenly opened by the girl that ran away from both Kaneki and Hide when Hide interrupted their 'couple time.'

"Nishiki! What happened?"

Nishio tried to explain, but felt too weak to talk.

"I found him being beaten up by jerks."

The girl instantly felt petrification when she heard that.

"Damn it, Nishiki. It's just like I thought. Every time you go out, you come back hurt."

"I'm sorry, Kimi. My hunger…is driving me insane."

Kimi looked at Kaneki with a glare in her eyes.

"Hey now. I come in peace."

"He helped me, Kimi. Beat up the guys that beat me up."

"But he's also the one who almost ripped you apart."

 _She's not wrong._

"Yeah, he is. Allow me to introduce to you the kid who ripped me to shreds…"

Nishio passed out in Kimi's arms. She gently stroked his hair as he rested. Kimi eventually lifted Nishio and got him to his futon bed. Curious about the nature of their relationship, Kaneki asked Kimi questions about her connection to Nishio.

"Kimi, you're…a human, right? So, why be with a ghoul?"

"I'm in love with him."

"But you know he has to…eat people in order to survive, right?"

"Of course I know. But, it's not like enjoys eating flesh. It's part of how his body works. Like your claws."

Kaneki was mildly shocked that Kimi knew that he was a mutant.

"Nishiki told what he did to you that…compelled out to rip him apart."

He then remembered the day when Nishio stomped on Hide's unconscious head in order to taunt him.

"I don't blame you, but please don't judge him. Yes, he may have to kill people in order to eat. But if he doesn't, then he'll die himself."

Kaneki agreed with Kimi on the fact that Nishio was a ghoul, and what that meant. He also believed that Kimi truly does love him. So much so that she was willing to turn a blind eye to what his true nature entailed.

"Kimi, I work in a ghoul café called Anteiku. But, it's not just a café. It's a sort of ghoul sanctuary in the 20th ward. It provides for ghouls who don't want to hunt down humans, but don't want to die of starvation. Give me until tomorrow, I can get enough flesh for Nishio to get better."

Kimi lightly gasped as Kaneki was stepping up to help her boyfriend.

"Even after what he did to you and your friend?"

"I don't believe in grudges."

Kimi covered her mouth as to not look so weak, but was grateful for Kaneki's help nonetheless.

"Thank you so much."

"I'll see you tomorrow."

Kaneki exited the apartment, and went back to his place. Kimi went out herself a little later to shop for coffee to Nishio. She wanted to stay up the rest of the night to watch over Nishio. As such, she went to a nearby convenience store to shop for more coffee. However, as she went back, she was suddenly grabbed onto by a man wearing a tuxedo and a mask. Kimi screamed for her life, but her mouth was covered by a cloth napkin coated in chloroform.

"Apologies, ma'am. But my master requires your…"

Kimi then feel silent but alive.

"Cooperation."

A black car then rode up near the two and opened its doors. The kidnapper gently shoves Kimi inside, then entered himself. As soon as the car moved, the kidnapper then contacted someone via his phone.

"Target is acquired."

"Excellent. Bring her to the mansion for tonight. Tomorrow, the real show begins."

Meanwhile, the figure that followed Kaneki also followed Kimi. He took out his phone to contact someone.

"Situation has changed. Target is still in the open, but I may have found a way to trap him."

He paused to allow the person on the other side of the call to speak.

"Don't worry your head off. Just give me a little more time."

xxxxxx

Kaneki only had a few hours of sleep that night. He knew that time was of the essence due to Nishio's condition. However, he remembered one of the wellness lessons Danny taught him.

" _Make sure you get at least six hours, Kaneki. Any less, and your ability to defend yourself will be compromised._ "

Thankfully, by the time he woke up it was already half past nine.

" _Anteiku's already open by now. Great._ "

Kaneki got dressed and headed for the café. He was willing to skip classes today in order to fulfil his promise to Kimi. However, when he opened his apartment door, he found a note next to a rose on the railing.

" _A rose? The only person who would leave one is…_ "

Kaneki instantly feared for the worst. He read the note and imagined Tsukiyama's voice while doing so.

" _ **My sweet Kaneki, won't you join me for supper this evening? Midnight sounds good. I've already brought that charming woman you spoke with earlier. But, if I'm being honest, it's your company I after. But first, a little sport. Makes the reward all the sweeter. P.S. I forgive you.**_ "

On the note was a mini-map that also had an address. Kaneki instantly knew who Tsukiyama wrote about.

" _Kimi._ "

Kaneki instantly ran for Anteiku. As soon as he made it, Kaneki instantly opened the door and found the place almost empty. Save for Irimi, who was minding the place.

"Kaneki, what are doing here?"

"I need some flesh!"

"But you don't…"

"It's not for me."

Then, knocking was heard at the café door. Kaneki opened it to find Nishio leaning on the wall, still weakened.

"Nishio!"

"Kimi hasn't…come back…since…"

Nishio almost fell to the floor, but was caught by Kaneki. He brings him inside as Irimi looked in shock.

"He needs to eat."

"I'll go get some."

"Kimi…"

Kaneki knew what he was talking about.

"I…have a pretty good idea what happened to her."

He presented the note Tsukiyama left for him to Nishio. He reads it and became angry at himself.

"Tsukiyama…damn that son of a…"

Nishio now felt hunger pangs in his gut. For Nishio, he felt like they were going to be the death of him. Irimi then came back with at least a pound of flesh.

"This is all we can spare, Kaneki. Today's the day Yomo's supposed to go food shopping."

Kaneki grabbed the flesh and gave it to Nishiki. Nishiki sniffed the flesh and scarfed down all that could be spared. He felt his strength returning slowly.

"Why…Why is this happening to Kimi?!"

He slams the table with his fist.

"Tsukiyama is after me."

Irimi was shocked to hear about Tsukiyama is after Kaneki.

"This is on me to get Kimi back."

After finishing the last of the flesh, Nishio stood up, albeit with his legs shaking.

"I'm going with you."

"You're still too weak. Besides, the location he gave me…I don't think it'll lead to Kimi directly."

"What?"

"On the note, he says he wants to make a game of it. Tsukiyama had me in a ghoul restaurant one time where I had to fight for my life. I think he's setting up another one. Just for me to get Kimi's location. When I'm done, I'll come back here and by then you'll get your strength back."

xxxxxx

Kaneki remembered where the location for the fight would take place, and used the GPS on his phone to arrive as fast as he could. It took him to a warehouse by the docks in the 8th ward. The place was mostly empty. Kaneki hoped that there would be no interruptions. However, the fight he expected to happen would not come to pass. As soon as he arrived, Kaneki witnessed a gruesome sight. He found a fresh corpse on the ground. Ripped apart, with claw marks all over its body. It looked as if a wild animal mauled the man to death. However, Kaneki could tell that he was in Tsukiyama's employ due to the tuxedo and mask he wore. He also spotted a folded piece of paper on the corpse. Assuming it was another note by Tsukiyama, he opens it. The note was different than he imagined as it was written in English and in blood.

" _ **Thought I save you the hassle. I want you in full health when we meet. That is if you survive whatever the rich boy has planned for you. Here's the location of where he has the girl he took. V.C.**_ "

Kaneki read the location, and input it on his phone's GPS app. Only to discover that Tsukiyama was in a church back in the 20th ward.

" _That note he gave did say that he wanted a midnight dinner. This guy was probably was going to fight me until sunset or something. It did take a quarter of a day to get here._ "

He checked the time to reveal that it as a quarter to four.

" _That's right. By the time I get back to the 20_ _th_ _ward, it'll already be nighttime. Maybe I can still get to Kimi in time. But…_ "

Kaneki stared at the corpse one more time.

" _Who is this V.C guy? Why did he kill him?_ "

 _V.C…it can't be?_

" _You know him?_ "

"Kaneki!"

He turned around to see Danny standing there.

"Shifu. What are you doing here?"

"I got a call from your place of work. Anteiku."

"Who called you?"

Danny opened his mouth, but didn't tell Kaneki who called him.

"That's…not important. What I want to know is did you do this to him?"

Danny pointed to the corpse that laid behind Kaneki.

"No, Shifu. He was like this when I got here. This note was left here for me."

Kaneki present the note to Danny, to which he took it and read it.

"Who's V.C?"

"I have no idea. All I know is…"

"Someone you know got kidnapped and you're planning to rescue her?"

"How do you… Shifu, why do you know all this?"

Danny sighed as he believed he was sparing Kaneki the harsher aspects of his life. However, he sees Kaneki knows about the existence of ghouls.

"Are you aware that that your workplace is where ghouls meet?"

Kaneki gasped that his Shifu knew about the true nature of Anteiku. Feeling that he didn't want to lie to Danny, he decided to be honest about why he was at Anteiku in the first place.

"Yes. You remember when I said about someone showing me kindness, and I wanted to repay that kindness? Well the owner of the café I work at is that person."

"Why would you be working for a ghoul café?"

"Because I turned into a ghoul. For a short while."

Kaneki took off his eyepatch and showed his red eye to his Shifu. Needless to say, Danny was more than surprised to see the ghoul eye on his student.

"A one-eyed ghoul."

"More than that."

 _SNIKT!_

Danny then witnessed metal claws extending out of Kaneki's knuckles.

"Metal claws…Impossible. How can you be a mutant and a ghoul at the same time?"

"Have you heard of an incident involving steel beams?"

"I've heard. There was an accident at a construction site some months ago. Were you there?"

"I was the only survivor."

Danny was further surprised about how that incident played out.

"But that still doesn't explain how you got that eye."

"The doctor who performed the surgery that saved my life didn't know that the girl who was also there was a ghoul. As such, in order to save my life, he transplanted her organs into my body."

"How can that happen?"

"What makes you say that, Shifu?"

"A ghoul's skin is tougher than a rhino. Either quinque steel or vibranium can cut through it."

Kaneki then remembered that fact when he saw that ghoul expert on a tv interview stated that.

" _Usually hospitals to have knifes and scalpels in order to perform surgery, but how many of them can penetrate a ghoul's skin? How did I miss that?_ "

 _Focus. Your teacher is here._

Kaneki snapped back to reality when this Shifu was getting worried about him.

"Kaneki? You were saying?"

"Sorry, Shifu. You just…reminded me of something. Anyhow, because her organs were in my body, my body changed into that of a ghoul. I struggled with my desire to eat flesh that I eventually ripped out all my…innards to get back to normal."

"Wait. All your innards?"

Kaneki nodded yes.

"That's just impossible! You should be dead."

"I have, what my doctor called, a healing factor."

"Super regenerative abilities?"

"Yeah. I did die, but only for a while. But my organs grew back, and with it I could eat regular food again."

As Kaneki grinned, Danny looked at him with a curious glare.

"Is it okay if I asked you about…"

"How I know ghouls?"

"That, and how are you okay with me working at a place called Anteiku? I mean, you haven't lectured me, or even say 'stay away from that place.'"

Danny sighed over the fact that he had to share his story with one of his students.

"Let's talk on our way back to the 20th ward. You know where the girl is held?"

Kaneki showed his phone pinpointing where Kimi was. Little did the two know, they were being spied upon. As Kaneki and Danny exited the warehouse, the person spying on the two was now making contact with someone.

"This is Creed. Target is heading for designated location. Get the team ready."

xxxxxx

The two decided to walk there to maintain some form of privacy. Danny spoke first.

"I'm gonna let you know a little about me, Kaneki. I was born in New York city, as you already know. I was actually born the son of a business billionaire named Wendell Rand. Once, when I was a child, my parents were taking me home from a business trip. The plane we were flying on had some engine failure that caused it to crash. My parents died that day. I was the only survivor. The reason why I did was because of monks. But they weren't just any monks. They were the inhabitants of the hidden city of K'un-Lun."

Kaneki felt elated to hear what Itori told him almost matched what his Shifu was telling him now.

"They raised me to be not just a capable fighter, but someone worthy to wield their land's sacred power."

"What was it called?"

Danny looked around to look for an alley dark enough for him to demonstrate.

"Over there."

Danny found one and pointed at the direction. Thankfully, the streets were not that crowded. One the two arrived, Danny raised his hand to Kaneki to keep a certain amount of distance between the two of them.

"I know you have a healing factor, but it's for your own safety nonetheless."

Danny then created a fist with his left hand and placed it on his right. What Kaneki saw next would blow his mind. Danny's fists began to glow a golden color. Kaneki stood absolutely amazed by the sight of Danny's ability.

"I had to battle the dragon, Shou-Lao, for this. When I defeated him, I dove my hands into the shearing fire of his soul to prove myself worthy. This is how I became what you see. The Immortal Iron Fist."

The fist's glow then began to wane. Kaneki still felt dumbfounded as to what he saw. Danny was worried again about Kaneki's grip on reality. Although this time, he understood why that is.

"Kaneki? You still me, buddy?"

"THAT WAS KICK-ASS!"

Danny jumped a little after Kaneki's outburst.

"Sorry, Shifu. I was being honest."

Danny gave a nervous laugh afterwards.

"Let's get moving."

"Oh. Right."

As the two made their way to where Kimi was kidnapped by Tsukiyama, Danny continued his story.

"As the Iron Fist, I had to fulfill two mission objectives. One: stand at the gates of K'un-Lun as its guardian. Two: Be the sworn enemy of the Hand."

"The Hand?"

Asked Kaneki, knowing about them but pretending not to.

"An underground organization existing for as long as K'un-Lun has. However, the first duty was important. That meant I could never leave K'un-Lun. But…something compelled me to go back to the world I left behind."

"What was it?"

"A vision. It was about an eagle, soaring over the cities of men. Then the skies turned blood-red and a giant black hand crushing all of them. And I was there too, looking up in fear. In my vision, I was within and without. It shook to my core so much that I…abandoned my post and go back. Back to humanity's world. Knowing what it would cost. But it was a price I did had to pay because I would soon discover just how pervasive the Hand was in modern society. I would soon discover that when I went back to my father's company and discover how they took control of it. I knew I had to destroy the company my father built, when I discovered how the Hand played a part in my parent's murder, I knew what my father built became the complete opposite when the Hand took over."

Kaneki began to sympathize for his Shifu when he heard his story.

"My father's company would be the first target among many that made the Hand feel my wrath. The aftermath of the takedown of my father's company gave me an unexpected but useful amount of wealth."

"How much?"

"Right now, 3.7 billion."

Kaneki almost pratfell when he heard how much his Shifu was worth.

"In American?!"

Danny shushed Kaneki when he said that.

"I don't want everyone to know."

"Right. Who could blame you? Everyone hates the one percent. Blah blah blah"

Danny sighed as he expected the reaction to be something like what Kaneki expressed.

"Anyhow, I used my wealth to travel all over the world to destroy any and all bases they had. But the biggest one was their primary base here. In Japan. Unfortunately, even with my fist, their numbers overwhelmed me. Thankfully, I gained allies here. Even though they were…"

Kaneki could tell the next word that was going to come out of his Shifu's mouth.

"Ghouls."

"That's right. Once, when I was very injured, I was surround by a group of ghouls that called themselves the Black Dobers. Needless to say, when they saw my injured body, they saw a meal. I was an injured deer surrounded by wolves. And the leader of that wolfpack was more than happy to take that first bite. I still had some chi left in me to do some self-healing, but I needed time."

"What did you do?"

"I asked the leader if I could see the face of the person who's going to kill me. She accepted."

"She?"

"Turns out they were all women. I was more surprised than shocked. I then said this to the leader in order to buy more time."

 _(flashback)_

"If I'm gonna die today, might as well be at the hands of somebody cute like you."

 _(end)_

Kaneki had a look on is face that expressed utter disbelief.

"It goes without saying that what I said did the job. As soon as my chi healed my wounds and replenished my stamina, I fought for my life and came out in one piece. It wouldn't be until the next time I met with their leader that I allied myself with the Black Dobers to take down the main headquarters of the Hand."

"How did you get them to help you?"

"They…had a trial for me."

"What kind of trial?"

"I…rather not say. I can only say that I proved myself so well that I gained their trust."

Kaneki was now curious as the nature of the trial that the Black Dobers put him through.

"With their cooperation, the Hand was dealt a crushing defeat and a decisive blow. However, during the raid on their headquarters, I discovered that something terrible. Something that racked me with unforgiving guilt."

"What did they do?"

Danny stopped walking for a moment as his most painful memory resurfaced.

"The Hand discovered K'un-Lun and killed everyone within the city. Because I abandoned my post, every single person had their blood spilt. All because I failed in my first duty."

Although he moved on, Danny still felt the weight of his mistake in his heart. He left behind students that trained with him, teachers that molded him behind on a vision. Kaneki tried to lift some of the guilt off of him.

"Were you successful in destroying the Hand? Because you wouldn't be here if you didn't."

"Yes, Kaneki. Yes I did. But the price almost destroyed me. All I could do was to continue my mission in order to get justice for the dead. Luckily, what I furthered discovered indicated that my mission was coming to an end."

"So, how did your mission end, Shifu?"

Danny looked at the sunset and discovered that it would soon be night.

"It's getting late. If we don't hurry, that girl you're trying to help is gonna meet some horrible fate."

"Yeah, you're right."

Kaneki checked the map on the GPS app on his phone.

"We're closer to Anteiku than where Tsukiyama has Kimi."

Kaneki checked the map to find a faster way on foot, and pointed in the direction.

"That way."

"Let's move."

The two ran, not knowing that Nishiki would follow them after.

xxxxxx

Kaneki and Danny finally made to the place where Tsukiyama had Kimi hostage. It was a church. Organ music emanated from there.

"Do you hear that, Shifu?"

"Watch yourself, and follow my lead."

As the two entered the church, at the pulpit lied Kimi with her back facing the church; gagged up, tied, blindfolded, with candles surrounding her. Tsukiyama was playing the organ a little after he heard the church doors open and close shortly after. He stops playing, assuming Kaneki was the one who arrived.

"Ah, Kaneki. Good of you to have finally arrived. Tell me, how much do you like Beethoven?"

"Personally, I'm into something with a bit more rhythm."

Tsukiyama would later see Kaneki arrive, but with someone else at his side. Tsukiyama looked mildly displeased at first, but later assumed that he was Kaneki's gift to him.

"I see you've brought a food dish with you. I'm touched at the thought of you bringing me a meal to partake."

"Sorry. I think you'd might be disappointed with how I taste."

"My good sir, never underestimate yourself."

The doors opened one more time to reveal Nishio, not looking like he used earlier, but not back at full strength neither.

"Nishio!"

"Kaneki, you know him?"

"That's Kimi's boyfriend."

Nishio breathed a little heavy before expressing how angry he was at how his girlfriend was taken from at his weakest.

"Tsukiyama!"

"Well, this is a little awkward. I don't recall inviting you, Nishio."

"Give Kimi back to me you sick bastard."

"Apologies, but I simply cannot do that. You see, I need the girl to add spice to my entrée. It is essential that the ingredient remain fresh as possible for the role she will be serving."

"And what purpose is that?"

Asked Danny, which prompted Tsukiyama to ask one in return.

"Pardon me, but I never got your name, sir. As well as your relationship to Kaneki."

"He is my student. He goes to my dojo every week in order to defend himself, and others, from people like you. As to who I am…"

Danny reached into his sweatshirt to reveal a cloth mask. It was simple with only stylized eyeholes with black outlines. He placed it upon his face and the top of his head. Nishio was curious as to who Kaneki's teacher was while Kaneki looked with an expression of astonishment.

"Only my students know my real name. You may call me the Immortal Iron Fist."

Danny then raised one fist at Tsukiyama, which then gave the same golden glow that amazed Kaneki. Nishio, on the other hand, simply felt astounded as to what he was seeing. Tsukiyama replied to Danny's declaration and demonstration.

"Impressive. For such an answer to my question, I can only hope mine can satisfy yours. I have brought over a horde of ghouls to this place to feast upon the girl."

All three of them were shocked to hear such an answer. Nishio, both more so and furious at the same time.

"But why?"

"Simple, my beautiful Kaneki. Rage."

Kaneki was shaken to hear an answer like that spoken in such a savage manner.

"I want you to look on in utter despair as you fail to save this girl. I want the devastation to crush you to the point that you desire vengeance against me. I want to taste the fury coursing through your veins as I devour them. Simply put Kaneki…"

Tsukiyama took out a dart and threw it at Kimi. The piercing throw made Kimi scream in pain.

"I WANT TO FEEL YOUR BOILING BLOOD IN MY MOUTH! I WANT TO FEAST UPON THE ANGER YOU HAVE TOWARDS ME!"

All three saw the depths of Tsukiyama's depravity. While Danny simply looked at him with silent disgust, Nishio and Kaneki both voiced their outrage.

"You sick son of a bitch!"

"But's that's so cruel."

"Cruel? A small understatement, but that hurts me nonetheless. However, if that's how you feel, Kaneki, then you should know this. Your sweet flesh is the reason why I do all this. I desire the flavor of your body as it is quenched with rage. By any means necessary."

Nishio charged towards Tsukiyama with murderous intent.

"IF YOU WANT RAGE TSUKIYAMA, HERE'S SOME COMING AT YOU!"

Nishio readied his kagune as he was ready to fight Tsukiyama. Danny, however, discouraged him from doing so.

"Nishio, wait! Don't rush in!"

However, Tsukiyama already dealt a defeating blow to Nishio before he could even see it. Although Nishio could not see it, Danny saw Tsukiyama give him three punches before grabbing him and threw him to the congregation seats near where Kaneki stood.

"Why don't you take a load off?"

"I could apply that same suggestion to you, rich boy."

Another voice was heard within the church. One unfamiliar to everyone. Except one.

 _It can't be._

" _You know who this is?_ "

Loud footsteps slowing advanced as a figure emerged from the church's back entrance. He was slightly taller than Tsukiyama or Danny. Possessed hairy sideburns while wearing black clothing under a dark brown trench coat, as well as black boots. Although mostly looking like a regular human man, his nails were half-black and sharp. Tsukiyama was further incensed by the interruptions.

"Excuse me, this is a private affair. Please leave."

"Or what? You gonna send your ghoul goons to rip me apart? Two problems with that. One."

He extended his fingernails as well as showed the fangs within his mouth.

"I taste nasty to you people. Two: I brought a friend with me to take care of your goons. Wildside, come on over."

The front church doors were opened once again by a weirdly dressed individual. He wore a white and black spandex suit with gold-colored metal shoulder pads and a red cape. His mask only covered his eyes, which actually complemented his insane-like expression on his face.

"Show them what you can do."

Wildside then activated his mutant abilities. Kaneki, Danny, and Tsukiyama experienced painful headaches, but what would come after would make them know fear. Kaneki saw his mother, bloodied and with claw marks on her body.

' _Why Kaneki? I only loved you, and you do this to me._ '

Kaneki saw in terror his own mother looking at him with sadness in her eyes.

' _What'd you expect? He's a monster at heart. You can't really think he's capable of love, do you?_ '

Kaneki then turned around to see Rize looking down on him.

' _He's a waste of everyone's time. He should kill himself, but his mutant powers won't let him. It's a fitting punishment, all things considered_.'

Rize then began to laugh at him. Kaneki felt shame and depression crushing him alive. However, Rize's laughter would immediately stop. Kaneki looked up to see Wolverine once more stabbing her with his claws.

' _Why the hell are you…_ '

 _Get lost, bitch._

Rize fell over dead. Wolverine then tells Kaneki to snap out of it.

 _What you're seeing isn't real. This is Wildside's mutant abilities. He can make delusions out of your worst fears._

Before Kaneki could ask Wolverine why did he know these people, a shockwave snapped him out of the delusion Wildside put him under. The shockwave sent Wildside flying near the individual that summoned him. Kaneki looked around to see Danny standing above a mini-crater with his glowing fist.

"Nice one. Glowing fist. Never saw that before. I heard your introduction when I came inside. Iron Fist, right? Well, let me make one of my own. You can call me Sabretooth. And I'm here…"

Sabretooth points at Kaneki.

"For him."

"Excuse me! You cannot have him! For I have yet to savor him!"

"Savor something else, Richie Rich."

Sabretooth stepped down from the pulpit in order to remove Tsukiyama so he could capture Kaneki. Tsukiyama prepared his kagune. It was similar to Nishio's except it was purple and wrapped around his right arm. Tsukiyama used his kagune as if it were a sleeve sword. Sabretooth extended his fingernails and was more than ready to fight. Tsukiyama delivered a fast swipe, but Sabretooth dodged it before the hit could land. He retaliated by delivering savage slashes with his hands on Tsukiyama's body. He managed to dodge three, but the fourth and fifth ones gave Sabretooth satisfaction. Tsukiyama became angry by this and retracted his kagune a little to give a fatal thrust to Sabretooth. The attack landed squarely in Sabretooth's chest, but he did not move. Even after Tsukiyama had his hand within Sabretooth's body, he did not fall.

"Freaked out? You should be."

Tsukiyama growled in anger over Sabretooth's mere presence.

"Bete interferente!" ( **Interfering beast!** )

"Mieux qu'un prince enfantin qui se croit querrier." ( **Better than a childish prince who fancies himself a warrior.** )

The act of Sabretooth speaking French just as well as Tsukiyama proved itself an effective distraction as the pause gave Sabretooth to inflict enough damage to neutralize the ghoul. Powerful swings with his arms gave little time for Tsukiyama to retaliate in any manner. With a ferocious mix of slashes with his nails and punches from his fists, Sabretooth finally removed Tsukiyama from the fight. Tsukiyama laid on the floor, motionless and unconscious. Sabretooth's wounds began to heal themselves. Both Kaneki and Danny witnessed this and were shocked to see someone else with Kaneki's self-healing abilities.

" _He can heal himself like I can._ "

 _Victor possesses mutant abilities like yours._

" _Victor?_ "

 _Yeah. That's his name. Victor Creed._

" _So that's what V.C meant._ "

Sabretooth then looked at Kaneki and the expression on his face.

"Don't be shocked, X-24. A lot of us have powers like yours. All the better to get back our escaped subject."

"X-24?"

"Your official designation."

Danny got in between Kaneki and Sabretooth.

"Almost forgot about you. Wildside, get the kid. I got Bruce Lee here."

Just then, from above the church, a figure arrived so suddenly. Before anyone could see who it was, Sabretooth's eyes were immediately slashed, leaving behind a deep cut. The figure then went for Wildside, but immediately backed off when he fought back by swinging one of his sharp claws. It was finally revealed to be Touka.

"Touka, you're here."

She looks around the church to see Nishio knocked unconscious on the congregation seats and Tsukiyama as well. Sabretooth's eyes eventually healed themselves from Touka's slashing kick.

"Great. Another player."

"We should've had reinforcements come with us, Victor."

Said Wildside, complaining that they won't be able to complete their mission. Sabretooth, however, was mad when Wildside used his real name.

"Okay. First of all, don't use my real name, Richard."

Wildside growled at Sabretooth doing the same thing.

"Second, you'd think I'd be so stupid as to come if it was only the two of us?"

Sabretooth brought out a flip phone and called somebody.

"Kane. We need you buddy."

Sabretooth closed his phone. Touka scoffed at the act of Sabretooth calling for backup.

"Really? You're gonna call in more of your buddies because you can't handle me? Then again, I don't blame you."

"Well, what can I say? I really want to get this over with and haul that kid's ass to my superiors."

Touka sees Sabretooth pointing to Kaneki while Danny stands before him.

"That's not gonna happen, asshole."

"You think that's up to you, girl? Wildside, you handle her. I'll get X-24."

Touka growled that he underestimated her by giving her a stooge to fight for him.

"Like I said, you're not taking him."

Said Danny, reasserting his previous claim.

"I already know that. Which is why I called someone who's gonna do more than distract you."

A loud blast blew apart one of the church's walls. From the dust emerged another associate of Sabretooth. He was slightly taller than Sabretooth, and wore slim black form-fitting tights while wearing a red leather jacket on top. What really caught Touka's, Danny's, and Kaneki's attention were his metal arms, to which his hands were covered in red gloves. Kane observed the people his team were fighting against.

"Who's my target?"

"Guy with the glowing fists."

Touka looked around to see what Sabretooth was talking about, only to see Danny's hands shining for some reason.

"What the hell?"

Said Touka in disbelief. Kaneki gave a short explanation of his Shifu's powers.

"He placed his hands into the soul of a dragon. That's why his hands shine."

"What the hell are you talking about, Kaneki?"

"Trust me. I would love to explain more, but we have bad mutants who want to kill us."

"Everyone else, yeah. We're supposed to get you back to the people who made you."

"Made me?"

"First things first. Wildside, girl. Kane, kung-fu fighting. I got X-24."

(play _Encounter – FFVII: Crisis Core_ )

Both Wildside and Kane nodded as the two rushed towards their respective targets. Sabretooth lunged towards Kaneki, missed him due to Kaneki being quick on his feet. Sabretooth gave a mild snarl afterwards.

"Please don't make this difficult."

 _SNIKT!_

"You just ordered your team to kill my friends. What do you think what's gonna happen?"

Sabretooth gave a beleaguered sigh.

"Fine."

He then extended his nails, ready to fight Kaneki.

"Just get ready for pain you'd wish you could get out of."

"I'm not afraid of pain."

"Oh. I can see that."

Sabretooth gave an animalistic snarl while Kaneki charged towards Sabretooth. The two eventually collided and began to trade blows. While Sabretooth's nail slashes on Kaneki's face, Kaneki stabbed Sabretooth on his body with his metal claws. Danny nimbly dodged Kane's swings of his metallic arms. What he couldn't dodged, Danny would block with his arms. He extended his chi to the rest of his arms so they would withstand the strength of Kane's punches. It worked for the most part, but Danny soon realized that he needed to hit back soon.

" _It's only a matter of time before he does me in. I won't be able to protect Kaneki if he takes me out._ "

Kane took a couple more swings to which Danny dodged once more.

" _He's trying to get a read on me. No more defense._ "

Danny then charged towards Kane. Although Kane did have a good read on how the Iron Fist moved, what would happen next would alarm him in how much power Danny possessed. Kane gave a right forward punch, but Danny dodged it, as he expected. He believed the left hook would disorient the Iron Fist enough to deliver a series of blows that would take him out of the fight. Instead, Danny grabbed Kane's fist with his own. Although he had to use his chi in order to nullify the damage the impact would have on him, it was enough to stop Kane's punch from landing on him.

"You're as strong as I am."

"Fighting isn't just about strength."

"You also need a mission to believe in."

"And you believe in this mission?"

"I let my actions dictate my convictions."

The two resumed exchanging blows. Touka tried to catch up with Wildside in order to hit him, but he proved himself to erratic to get a read on. However, Wildside would discover the same thing about her. His claws failed to reach her, let alone cause damage. Dismayed that he was being outmatched by a ghoul, he instead decided to use his delusion inducing abilities to make it easy to fight her. One stare at her was enough for her to experience a headache that soon led to a psionic experience. She saw manifestations of her family. She looks at herself at first to discover that she was a child again. Her mother and father calling out to her. She runs towards them. Outside of her mind, however, she was in a catatonic state of mind. The blank look on her face indicated so. Wildside readied his claws to deliver a killing blow. Kaneki sees this in the brief moment he wasn't fighting Sabretooth.

"Touka!"

Sabretooth tackles him to a nearby wall, and stabs him with his nails

"Eyes on the ball."

(pause music)

While all the fighting went on, to nobody's notice, Nishio soon regained consciousness after Tsukiyama knocked him out cold. At first groggy, he attempted to stand up only for the congregation seats to crumble underneath his body. As soon as he crashed to the floor, he crawled for a while, remembering what had happened before Tsukiyama put out his lights. As Nishio slowly got back up, he sees Kimi still tied up on.

"Kimi…"

He then remembered how his life led up to meeting Kimi and what happened afterwards.

( _flashback_ )

Young Nishio saw a dead hobo laying in his makeshift home, but did not do anything about it. However, his sister saw him walking away.

"Nishiki, have you found food?"

Nishio did not say anything. Instead, his sister looked inside to see a corpse rotting away.

"Nishiki, why didn't you come to me about finding food?"

"I…don't want to eat people anymore."

"But we don't have a choice. Human eat animals like cows and pigs the same way we eat them."

"But I don't want to kill anyone, sis."

Nishio's sister patted her brother on his head.

"It's okay. You don't have to hurt anybody."

Time passed, and the two siblings grew to the point where the sister wanted to find a job to improve their way of living.

"You want to work?"

"Well, yeah. You don't want us to live like stray cats forever, do ya?"

"Well no. But Maya, I remember you telling me to always be careful."

Maya rubbed her hand on Nishio's head as assurance.

"Don't worry, little bro."

When she had to go out for work, her little brother would always be there to send her off.

"Okay, I gotta go."

"Be careful out there."

This pattern would repeat over the years to the point where the two became old enough to manage their lives. Sometimes the pattern would break every time Maya lost her job.

"Well, guess who got fired again?"

"How many times does this make?"

Maya had a nervous look on her face and feigned ignorance.

"Well, I don't really know exactly…"

"Try three."

Maya laughed it off before staring at Nishio for a little while.

"What's up?"

"You're so much taller than me. You look just like dad now."

For the first time, Maya had to raise her hand to rub Nishio on his head. More time passed. Eventually Nishio took a job of his own as a paperboy. During his route, he sees his sister with another man. He would wait until after work to talk to Maya about him.

"So sis, who was that guy you were with?"

"He's the manager at work. Nothing to worry about."

"Fine."

Sometime later, Maya's decision to become closer to her manager would become a choice she would regret. Both she and Nishio would later be on the run for their lives from the doves. During their escape, she received a fatal wound that will soon claim her life. Nishio begged her to hang on. However, it would later prove futile as she finally died in his arms, but not before she would stroke her little brother's hair for the last time. Nishio's sorrow would soon turn into a need for revenge. It would not be before long that he finally hunted down the man who sold out his sister to the doves.

"Yep. You're the one who turned her in."

"Please, don't kill me. I'm begging you."

"You reap what you sow, you bastard."

" _Except me. I'll never make the same mistakes Maya made._ "

With his kagune, Nishio slain the man who sentenced Maya to death. Years had gone by to the point that he became a freshman college student. As he was receiving canned coffee from a vending machine, he noticed a girl passing by him. She was next to him receiving a drink as well from the machine next to him. Nishio hears coins dropping and assumed it was her change, but the girl did not pick it up. Nishio grabs the coins and lets her know.

"Excuse me."

The girl turns around to look at him.

"You forgot your change."

She looks confused for a moment before extending her hand to receive it from him. When Nishio got closer, she looked tired for some reason.

"Thank you. That was kind of you."

On the outside, he smiled at her.

"So…what's your name?"

The girl lightly gasped before answering.

"Kimi."

" _She's a pale-looking girl, but who knows? She's could be useful for something._ "

Months passed and the two grew closer. To the point that they would sleep with each other.

"I'm thinking about the day we met. I really liked your name."

"Why?"

"Kimi means noble future. Who came up with it? Mom or Dad?"

Kimi started to cry when Nishio mentioned her parents.

"Hey. You alright?"

" _Was it something I said?_ "

Then it was when Nishio tried egg Kaneki to eat Hide, but would soon regret it. He threw up a certain amount of blood. He drank a large amount of coffee and some water, but it was not enough for his body to heal himself. Nishio loudly groaned in pain over how Kaneki nearly killed him.

"Kaneki, you son of a bitch! How come this wound won't heal?!"

The pain was becoming unbearable to him by the second.

"Damn it! I need some flesh!"

The entrance light turned on as Kimi entered. She hears loud noises as soon as she entered. She would later be shocked to see Nishio squirming in pain.

"Oh my goodness! What happened to you?"

Nishio suddenly jumped on Kimi.

"You're a regular lifesaver, Kimi. If you weren't here right now, I'd be shit out of luck."

Nishio threw up a little blood and got off of Kimi. For reasons unknown to him, he regretted his actions.

"It's no use. I'm too weak."

Kimi was in shock over the red eyes that manifested when he was on top of her.

"Nishiki, you're a ghoul?"

" _This is great. She's gonna rat me out to the doves, and it'll be game over. And then I'll end up like my sister. Oh…what the hell? This life pretty much sucked anyways._ "

Kimi just stood for a little while before taking off her coat and bearing one of her shoulders.

"Here you go."

Nishio could not believe what he was seeing. Kimi was willing to give some of her flesh to eat. He immediately jumped and took a piercing bite out of her shoulder. Nishio took his time to eat the flesh Kimi gave to him out of her own free will. It was at that moment that Kimi gave a confession of her own.

"If we're being honest, there's something I wanted to tell you. The day I met you was the day that I lost my entire family in car accident. My mom, dad, and little brother. All gone from my life. I felt like I had nothing left to live for. When I met you, I wouldn't know that you would... give me a reason to live."

Kimi caressed Nishio's hair. The feeling brought back familiar motions he long since killed when Maya died. He then stopped biting into Kimi's shoulder.

"Great. That's all I need. Another idiot in my life…worth dying for."

( _end_ )

Nishio sees Wildside readying his claws to hurt Touka with. He moved as quick as he could.

(resume music)

Although he could not hit Wildside with his kagune, the act itself would just be a bonus to the main goal of snapping Touka back into reality. He achieved this by punching square in the jaw. Touka fell to the floor, then got back up slightly groggy.

"Hey Touka! You catching up on your beauty sleep or something?!"

Touka then remembered what she was doing before Wildside put her under with his psionic abilities. She then got angry over what he made her experience.

"You…mutant bastard…"

Touka's eyes turned red while summoned her kagune. It was bright crimson while resembling a bird's wing.

"Did you know what you made see?!"

"Only your worst nightmare, flesh eater!"

Touka sped towards Wildside and finally landed her fist into his face. She then began to feel weak for reasons unknown to Nishio.

"What the hell, Touka? Where'd your strength go?"

"I have this human friend…she like to cook…I had some of her food…"

Nishio was surprised to hear that she had been eating human food.

"Why would you torture yourself like that?"

"Because…she worked so hard to make it for me…"

From afar, Kaneki could see both Nishio and Touka in a weakened state of being. Although fighting against Sabretooth prevented him from going their aid, he desired to help them nonetheless.

" _I have to help them._ "

 _How exactly? Ghouls can't eat mutant flesh._

" _Can't or won't?_ "

 _What do you mean?_

" _Think about it! They won't eat mutant flesh just because it tastes bad. If its food, don't refuse it._ "

 _Think you got a point there._

" _But this jerk won't let me go to them!_ "

 _Then let me take over. I remember the deal we made. Do you?_

Kaneki knew that the longer the fight between him and Sabretooth took, the less able he was to come to both Touka's and Nishio's help.

" _Fine. Do you what have to. As long as it gets me what I want._ "

The switch was instantaneous as now Wolverine was the one who was battling Sabretooth. Suddenly, the fighting style Kaneki's body previously trained changed into something that felt familiar to Sabretooth.

" _He's fighting differently now. Before he mostly focused on defense while searching for a kill shot._ "

Sabretooth dodged a decisive slash from the metal claws. It left two bloody scratches on his face.

" _Now he's fierce and precise._ "

Although Sabretooth still got some hits on Kaneki, he was still figuring out what was it that he was feeling during the fight. It would not until the two got into a standoff that Sabretooth finally knew what he was feeling. Familiarity.

" _The way he's crouching…Is that that really you in there…?_ "

Sabretooth said a name.

"Jimmy. You in there?"

He got the response he expected, albeit in Kaneki's voice.

"Victor, you son of a bitch."

Sabretooth laughed as he confirmed that it was Wolverine who was fighting him.

"HOT DAMN! What the hell are you doing this lanky little bitch, Jimmy?"

"Ask your bosses!"

The two charged towards each other. As the two got close, Sabretooth gave a large right swipe, but Wolverine dodged it by ducking. By the time he realized it, Sabretooth received a headbutt from Wolverine. The disorientation gave Wolverine enough time to deal Sabretooth a crippling blow. He set his sights for Sabretooth's right leg and, with his metal claws, sliced it right off. Sabretooth gave a perfectly beastly roar to express the pain he felt.

"That's gonna be a bitch to grow back."

"You keep laughing at me, Jimmy. See what happens."

"Right now, you ain't worth my time."

(end music)

Once Wolverine switched with Kaneki to give his body back, he then ran towards Touka and Nishio while not interrupting Danny's fight with Kane. Kaneki was close enough to surprise Wildside by punching him in the jaw, grab his arm, and threw him across the church. Sabretooth saw all this and cursed himself for not be able to stop him.

"Nishio. Touka. You okay?"

"Still kind of weak."

"Not so good."

"I kind of got that seeing you two fight."

Wildside slowly got up. Nishio pleaded with Kaneki to run for his life.

"Kaneki. You got to get out of here. If they're here for you, then you gotta run like hell."

Touka begrudgingly agree with Nishio.

"He's right. If you can get out of here, then go. We'll keep them distracted long enough for you to get help."

"Even if I could, there's still a good chance all of you could get killed."

"We're used to death."

Said Touka in a grim tone. Kaneki knew that there was truth to Touka's words. He imagined that she must have lost many loved ones to the doves. So much so that she was ready for death for claim her when the time came.

"Maybe…"

Kaneki rolled up one of his arm sleeves to expose his right arm.

"But not today."

He then knelled down and placed his arm in front of their face.

"Eat it."

Both Touka and Nishio were shocked to see Kaneki voluntarily offering his flesh.

"I know that mutant flesh tastes horrible, but it's food nonetheless. Both of you need to regain your strength. Now's not the time to be picky."

Both Nishio and Touka looked at each other and nodded in agreement. The two expected the fight to go on longer. Nishio bit the flesh close to Kaneki's hand while Touka went for the part of arm close to his shoulder. Although he could grow back the flesh that was currently being bitten off, the process was painful for Kaneki nonetheless. He bared the pain as best he could in order not yell in pain. Such screams would make his Shifu lose focus on his fight. Both Sabretooth and Wildside looked on in astonishment to see Kaneki sacrificing his body to ghouls. When Nishio and Touka finished, the taste was as they expected. At first, they hesitated to swallow, but after seeing Wildside get up on his feet, the two forced the flesh down their throats. Initially the aftertaste left them feeling disgusted, but that sensation would soon fade as now they felt their bodies completely rejuvenated. Their stamina replenished and their strength returned. The pain of the injury Nishio felt from fighting Kaneki now vanished, and the aftereffects of eating all of Yoriko's food became nonexistent for Touka.

"Your flesh tasted pretty nasty, Kaneki. But then again, that's the whole point of medicine. If it tastes nasty, that means it's doing its job."

Said Nishio, getting up as if his injuries never happened. Touka expressed her gratitude in her own fashion as well.

"You still need to get out of here. If you run now, you won't have to worry about us dying here."

Wildside began to feel angry and charged towards the three.

"None of you are going ANYWHERE!"

Touka did the same. Once she did, the difference in speed had now shifted. Not only was she fast enough to dodge his claw swipes, Touka could finally close the gap between her and Wildside. And does it so fast, by the time the mutant could see Touka in his face, she could finally give him a swift but powerful punch. She moved faster than he could see. Nishio looked for an opportunity to help Touka deliver the killing blow. He observed Wildside looking for a pattern to Touka's movements. He also sees the long cape on Wildside's outfit.

" _Long flowing cape. Bad idea, asshole._ "

By the time Wildside found the opportunity to get the jump on Touka and acted on it. When he did, he felt something holding him back. It ruined his moment of retaliation. He frantically looked around to see his cape pinned to the floor by some blue and green spear-looking tentacle.

"Sorry to put the brakes on you, pal."

Wildside looked to see who the tentacle belonged to. He discovered to be Nishio's kagune. He struggles to loosen his cape from the grasp of the kagune. He became so distracted that it gave Touka the opportunity to finish the fight once and for all. Sabretooth notices this as soon as he shifted his focus from his leg regenerating to the battle taking place. He sees the girl ghoul directly behind Wildside and ready to deliver a killing blow with her kagune.

"WILDSIDE! LOOK BEHIND YOU!"

It was too late. Touka's kagune began to crystalize, and struck Wildside directly to the chest. Although it was a decisive blow, it did not kill him. He still felt enough resolve and anger to deal an attack of his own. It would prove itself to be his last mistake.

"Hey mutant! Don't forget about me."

With a swift strike of his kagune, Nishio decapitated Wildside. Touka felt a little grossed out when some of his blood splashed on his face.

"Ugh."

"Don't complain. At least he won't be bugging us."

A loud yell was suddenly heard, interrupting Touka's and Nishio's banter. Kane's fight with Danny now shifted against him. Danny dealt a punch to Kane's chest, which gave the cyborg considerable pain. The punch possessed enough power to send him across to the part of the church where Sabretooth stood. Although his leg eventually grew back, with Wildside dead and Kane's weaknesses exposed, any reason to continue would mean his defeat. He snarled at how the situation became untenable.

"Kane. Get your ass up."

As he got up, Sabretooth reached for one of inner pockets of his trench coat. Everyone looked at the two with animosity and apprehension.

"They killed Wildside."

"He was a liability in the long run."

Kane scoffed at what Sabretooth said about one of their comrades.

"What's the plan now?"

Sabretooth took out a black sphere.

"Tactical retreat. Fight another day."

Sabretooth throws the sphere object to the floor to reveal that it was a smoke bomb. Within the smoke was the sound of a heavy object wrecking. When the smoke cleared, a huge hole in the church's wall where Sabretooth and Kane once stood revealed itself. Everyone assumed that the two mutants escaped through there. Kaneki sighed in relief that the whole thing was over. While Nishio instantly ran to Kimi's side and began to untie her. When he removed the gag, she spoke.

"Nishiki, is that you?"

"I'm here, Kimi."

"You okay, my love?"

"Kaneki got me better. Let me get you out of here."

Nishio struggled a little untying the rope Tsukiyama tied her in. Kaneki then went to check on Danny.

"Shifu, you okay?"

"I didn't use up that much chi during my fight, so I will be."

"That's great."

Said Kaneki while smiling. He then looked at Tsukiyama.

"Do you think he's still alive?"

Danny stared at Tsukiyama's seemingly lifeless body as well.

"I don't mean to sound callous, but at this point, who cares?"

(play _Wandering Flame - FFX_ )

The last two words in Danny's sentence stoked Touka's anger again. Anger that she had not pushed aside but calmed when she knew a peaceful life again. However, when Wildside used his psionic mutant abilities to put her in a catatonic state of delusion, all the reasons why she hated both humans and mutants came back to her with the force of a tsunami. She remembered the old woman who sold her and her little brother out to the doves. She remembered her first kill. She remembered reading about how mutants had their rights given to them by the humans after one of them exposed them to the world. How she felt that Kaneki's species took advantage of their fear of her and exploited it. She wanted to lash out at any target of her choice. She chose Kimi. Touka summoned her kagune once more.

"Nishiki. Stand aside."

Nishio, Kaneki, and Danny felt the murderous intent from her. Kaneki pleaded her to stop.

"Touka. No."

Although she spoke in a calm voice, fury still emerged with every word.

"I realize you care about her, but she knows too much. She's a danger to us. So, I have to kill her."

Nishio stopped untying Kimi in order to protect her from Touka. The two stared at each other with the intent to fight, if both felt necessary.

"Don't do it."

Said Kaneki, appealing to Touka's sense of mercy.

"You can't kill her. It's not fair."

"Fair? Fair?! You have…NO RIGHT TO TALK ABOUT FAIR!"

"TOUKA PLEASE! Everyone has someone they care about! I have Hide and Shifu. You have Yoriko. Just think. Would you do the same thing if she were up there?"

Touka growled before answering his question.

"YES I WOULD! I HATE THE HUMANS WHO HUNTED MY FAMILY DOWN LIKE ANIMALS! I HATE THE MUTANTS WHO TOOK AWAY MY CHANCES FOR A PEACEFUL LIFE! I HATE EVERYONE WHO TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!"

Touka's kagune crystallized and began to shoot out sharp crystal projectiles at Kimi. Nishio got in between the crystals and took the hits. The pain made Nishio pass out. However, one of the projectiles sliced the cloth blinding her eyesight. As she walked closer to her, Kimi focused her vision on Touka's kagune. She says the first word that came to her mind when she saw it.

"How pretty."

Touka suddenly stopped when Kimi described her kagune in a way that no one ever said before. That word rocked her to her very core.

"What does that mean?"

"Exactly what it means, miss Touka."

Both Kaneki and Touka turned their attention to Danny.

"Your kagune…is precisely that. Pretty."

She suddenly felt weak in her head. She began to slip in and out of consciousness as her legs began to falter. Although semi-awake, she fell to the floor while breathing heavily.

"Touka!"

"I get Nishiki. You get Touka."

Kimi looked for Nishio only to find him on the floor as well.

"Nishiki."

Danny approached Nishio as he laid to the floor. He asked Kimi if she was unharmed.

"Ma'am, are you okay?"

"Tied up, but Nishiki…"

Danny checked on Nishio's vitals. He first checked to see if there were any life signs by placing two of his fingers on Nishio's neck.

"He's still breathing…"

He then checked his forehead to find out that he had a fever all of a sudden.

"But he has a fever for some reason. Let me untie you first."

Danny went around Kimi to snap off the rope binding her wrists together. After that, he carried Nishio.

"Thanks…"

Said Nishio, semi-conscious. As Kaneki carried Touka, Danny asked his student where to take the two.

"We could go for my dojo but…"

"Anteiku. It's close by."

"Let's go."

As everyone made their way to Anteiku, Touka, within her mind, replayed what both Kimi and Danny said about her kagune.

" _How am I…pretty?_ "

 **DONE! This chapter was a little difficult to write due to deciding that Wolverine's rival, Sabretooth, would appear. So, I had to fit him by giving less screen time to Tsukiyama. But I hope that the fight between mutants, ghouls and a master of Kung-fu was worth it. Before we close this chapter, I want to give announcement.**

 **There will be filler arcs to flesh out the world somewhat. I had three ideas, one will take place before Kaneki would be captured by Aogiri Tree and will be the end of the half of the Weapon X storyline many of you readers are most probably picking up on. While two…I'm kind of undecided on. I had an idea of introducing Alucard from Castlevania into the story because Dracula is an actual character in Marvel Comics. On the other hand, I also had this idea of doing a storyline based on the movie Big Trouble in Little China. Where the character spotlight will be on Danny Rand, but more interesting in terms of character.**

 **So, I have put up a poll on my profile where you readers can decide which one I'll be doing. I won't be writing another chapter for at least a month because I'll be working on my light novel series. So you can expect the poll to be up for quite a while. Thank you all for reading. If you like it, share with your friends and/or leave a review. Stay frosty, amigos.**


	7. Ch 6

**How y'all doing? It's good to be back. What did I do during my hiatus? Saw Endgame, Detective Pikachu, Godzilla, Toy Story 4, and Spider-Man (all great movies). Finished my second book, and plan to publish my first one before the end of the year, but enough product placement (If you want to know more, PM me). Anyhow, I am ready to get on with it! Today's chapter will be the first half of a side adventure to the main storyline. I based it on both season two of Iron Fist (the only good one) and the film Big Trouble in Little China. Here, Kaneki helps his Shifu, Daniel Rand, bring peace to Tokyo after fighting between gangs have now re-emerged. How exactly? Read to Find out.**

Chapter 6 – Trouble

A month passed since the "Tsukiyama incident" as it was called within the social circle of Anteiku. Things were back to normal. For the most part, Kaneki thought, as he recounted the events that happened after that day while he was at work at the same time Hide was there.

" _What had happened that day was a turning point for a lot of us._ "

Kaneki was in the middle of an argument with Hide over how he proud he acted over cleaning a table.

"Sorry man. I don't see myself doing manual labor."

As Hide sipped his coffee, he almost spat it out after seeing Nishiki in an Anteiku uniform. Kaneki was very displeased over it.

"Hey! I just cleaned that."

Hide asked Nishiki why he was wearing the uniform.

"What? You'd think I'd wear something like this for the fun of it?"

" _One of the changes was that Nishiki started working here._ "

 _flashback_

"I know it's not ideal but do it for Kimi. The more you keep hunting, the more danger you put both yourself and her in."

Yoshimura added to Kaneki's argument.

"With the way we go about gathering our food here, Anteiku allows ghouls in the 20th ward to live a relatively guilt-free life here. We also provide sanctuary from the doves. However, in return for this, you must work in our coffee shop."

 _end_

Hide immediately voiced his opinion on how the uniform looked on him.

"Have to say, Nishio. I don't think a guy like you really fits in with a classy place like this."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, you can't pull off that look if your life depended on it."

"Watch what you say, or I'll throw you out."

Hide backed from making fun of Nishio in his uniform.

"Fine. So, what made you take this job?"

Nishio gave a simple and concise answer.

"A good woman. Now back off."

Hide was initially taken aback by the answer.

"Whoa! Are you talking about Touka?"

"What, are you stupid? I said good woman, not dumb girl."

"Speaking of, where is she?"

Kaneki answered Hide's question.

"She's back at her place. She has an exam to study for. So, the manager gave her some time off."

"Oh, that's cool."

What Kaneki chose not to mention was the aftermath of both Nishiki and Touka eating his flesh.

" _Hide still hasn't caught on that this is a ghoul sanctuary. If he did, then he would never know one of the biggest changes any of us ever saw._ "

 _flashback_

Before Nishiki was propositioned by both Kaneki and Yoshimura to work in Anteiku, both him and Touka were bed-ridden for a full day. Upon arriving in Anteiku with Kimi and Danny, Danny carrying Nishiki and Kaneki carrying Touka, they were greeted by Yoshimura, Irimi, and Yomo.

"Kaneki, are you alright?"

"Yes sir. It's Touka and Nishiki that need help."

"Irimi, Yomo."

Both nodded to Yoshimura as Yomo carried Nishiki and Irimi carried Touka to her apartment within the cafe. Before she exited the café, Irimi stared at Danny for a moment with Danny staring back at her. Kaneki caught the moment but was confused by it.

"Kaneki."

Said Yoshimura, catching his attention.

"Who is he?"

He pointed to Danny.

"Oh…This is my Shifu, Danny Rand. He's the one who teaches me kung-fu on Wednesdays."

"I see."

The two stared at each other for a moment until Yoshimura asked him a question.

"How did you hear about Kaneki's…situation?"

"Which one? Kimi being kidnapped, or Kaneki possessing a ghoul eye?"

Danny mentioning Kaneki's ghoul eye surprised Yoshimura in a bad way. Danny explained his knowledge of ghouls.

"I already know about ghouls. Hell, I even knew one personally."

"Does that person work here?"

"Yes, she does. As a matter of fact, she even called me about Kaneki's problem."

"I see."

After staring at him for a while longer, Yoshimura extended his hand to Danny.

"Thank you for helping my employee in his time of crisis."

Danny shook his hand in return.

"As his Shifu, I felt it my obligation to do so."

" _Danny promised that he wouldn't expose the true nature of Anteiku anyone. Yoshimura was grateful for that, and even allowed me to continue my training under him._ "

After a day had passed, both Nishiki and Touka woke up rested with their fevers gone. They were greeted by Kaneki, Yoshimura, Irimi, and Kimi. However, both felt hungry after the fight in the church. Yoshimura offered the two some flesh to regain their energy.

" _When Touka and Nishiki tried to eat the flesh,_ _they immediately spat it out of their mouths. Everyone inside were instantly surprised by that. They still felt hungry, but they couldn't eat flesh anymore._ "

Touka looked at what Kaneki was eating. He brought with him a pair of ground-beef steaks slathered with gravy from home to eat for lunch. Touka sniffed this and as instantly attracted to the scent.

"Kaneki…"

He could see the saliva dripping from her mouth.

"What's that you're eating?"

Kaneki was nervous at first to answer.

"…Hamburger steak."

He did not know what to make of the whole thing. Kaneki felt more nervous when Nishiki looked at his lunch the same way Touka did. Yoshimura then asked him,

"Kaneki, would you kindly give them both your lunch?"

He knew where Yoshimura was going with this, and acquiesced. He gave both his steaks to Touka and Nishiki, and they wolfed it down in less than half a minute. Everyone in the room were absolutely stupefied by the sight of the two young ghouls eating human food with utter eagerness. None more so than both Touka and Nishiki whom, after finishing Kaneki's lunch, frantically wondered how they were able to eat human food with enthusiasm. Nishiki voiced his concerns first.

"Okay, I am kind of freaking out. I mean, I just ate food that would ordinarily make me puke my guts out. Now, I just Kaneki's lunch in record time!"

Touka just stood silent, but the expression on her face said it all. Almost everyone within Anteiku could not explain what just happened. Save one.

"What happened in the church yesterday?"

Touka gave a summary.

"I followed Nishiki as you told me, Yoshimura. I lost track of him for a while until I finally went to the church where I saw Kaneki fighting against some mutants who wanted to capture him for some reason. Me, Kaneki, Nishio, and Rand fought them off. But Nishio was weak and I was…sick from eating some food Yoriko made for me."

Irimi voiced her concern when she heard Touka say that last part.

"Why would you do that?"

"She was my friend! That was enough. Anyways, me and Nishio took on this mutant who could…make me see things that left me open to attacks. And he was also fast that I could barely catch up. Kaneki then came to us and offered us his flesh so we could regain our strength. We took it."

Yoshimura then turned his sights to both to Kaneki and Nishio. The two nodded in agreement to what Touka told him. Kimi then spoke up and explained her own.

"Maybe that's how."

Everyone turned to Kimi as she spoke out loud her hypothesis.

"Certain foods can interact with a human's genome in terms of diet. The way it does that due to certain enzymes interacting with hormones that reduce or increase hunger. Maybe this is what happens when a ghoul devours mutant flesh."

Touka asked Kimi in a tense fashion,

"Are you saying this happened because Kaneki is a mutant?"

"Part of it. The function of an enzyme that that it produces a biochemical reaction within the body. DNA polymerase is another type of enzyme that forms new strands of DNA. Since Kaneki is a mutant, that means his genetic code is always changing. Those changes must've interacted with your ghoul DNA the moment you ate his flesh. Those pieces of his genes must've changed parts of your DNA responsible for nutrition. Maybe that's why you can eat human food when you couldn't before."

Small gasps could be heard when Kimi just propositioned an idea so radical, it possessed the potential to turn the world up on its head. Touka asked Kimi,

"How can you know this?"

"My major in college is biology. Specifically, genetics."

Nishiki confirmed this.

"It's true. She knows this kind of thing. I'm inclined to believe her."

Touka's breathing sounded shaky when he was processing this information.

"If what's she's saying is true, then…am I really a ghoul?"

She experienced a sort of existential crisis.

 _end_

" _Touka's really just in her room recovering from the shock of what Kimi said. Everyone is still processing the whole event in their own way, in their own time._ "

As Hide took another sip of his coffee, he asked Kaneki another question.

"So, Kaneki, you still taking your kung-fu lessons?"

"Yeah."

"How far are you getting?"

"Shifu said that in due time, I could become a black-belt in my own right."

"Dude, that's awesome."

Nishiki offered his own "insight".

"Honestly, when I think black-belt in kung-fu, I think badass. And you're just about the furthest thing."

Kaneki was visibly dismayed by that comment while Hide laughed at it.

"You're supposed to have my back."

"Yes, but then I'd be lying."

Hide continued to laugh while Kaneki simply dealt with his indignity simply by cleaning more tables. While he did so, he caught a glimpse of a news report on the tv.

"Today marks the funeral of Hai-Qing Lee, a member of the Tokyo city council. Mr. Lee was a semi-prominent local Chinese businessman whose financial contributions to Tokyo made him a respectable member of the community. Mr. Lee also represented the Chinese community mostly centered in Ikebukuro, which has also flourished in part to his efforts of creating a Chinatown here in Tokyo. The nature of his death shocked both his family, as well as the community, when it was reported the cause of his death to be homicide. This news has also sparked gang warfare within the vicinity of Ikebukuro…"

The door near the café bar opened as Yoshimura entered through.

"Kaneki, it's Wednesday, am I correct?"

Kaneki shifted his focus from the tv to Yoshimura as he remembered he had lessons with Danny today.

"Yes sir. Thank you for reminding me."

Kaneki finished up cleaning and exited the café through the door near the café bar. He changed as quickly as he could. Once he changed into his regular outfit, he then made his way to the station for the train to the 9th ward. He finally arrived at his destination only to find Danny closing the gym for some reason.

"Shifu?"

Danny turned around to find Kaneki standing in front of him.

"Kaneki? What are you doing here?"

"It's Wednesday."

"Oh, right. Yes. Well, I have something I need to do today, so lesson's cancelled."

Kaneki felt a little confused by this.

"What is it? Can I help?"

"Nor today, Kaneki. It's a funeral I have to attend to."

"A funeral? For who?"

"Somebody I know asked me to come with him. For reasons."

Kaneki still felt confused by this, as Danny could see.

"Look Kaneki. It's complicated, but I happen to know some people in Ikebukuro who come to me for help."

"Ikebukuro?"

Kaneki remembered the news report he saw recently.

"Wait, you wouldn't happen to be going to that funeral for Hai-Qing Lee? I just saw it on the news where I worked."

Danny sighed as Kaneki guessed correctly. He then opened his gym.

"Leave your bag on the desk. Take whatever you need, nothing more."

"You're letting me go with you?"

"As an educational experience. Nothing more."

Kaneki nodded in agreement over his Shifu's request. He placed his gym bag on the front desk but took nothing out.

"First, we're going to a tux rental place. I need one for the funeral and they probably have something your size."

xxxxxx

The tux rental shop was not that far from the gym. It took 15 minutes before both Kaneki and Danny exited the shop with both wearing tuxedos appropriate for funerals. From there, the two rode on the train heading for the 16th ward, to Ikebukuro. Once they arrived, Kaneki noted there were more people of Chinese descent than what he was used to.

"There seems to be…"

"More Chinese than you're used to? That's because Ikebukuro has a Chinatown here."

"Oh right. I almost forgot."

Danny then spots two gentlemen in black and gold suits wearing sunglasses.

"Follow me."

Danny approaches them and spoke.

"Po Shen asked for me."

One of them asked him,

"You the fist?"

Danny showed his glowing fist to the two gentlemen. They were surprised to see how their boss described him was accurate. The gentlemen then asked about Kaneki.

"Who's he?"

"A student of mine. He'll behave."

The gentleman looked at Kaneki one more time and decided to trust Danny.

"We have a car for you. Follow me."

The two gentlemen led both Danny and Kaneki to the car that would be taking them to where the funeral would take place. After riding for half an hour, they finally made it. Although, they missed the wake, and as such Danny felt slightly nervous.

"We missed the wake. Hope Mr. Shen doesn't mind."

"Maybe he's a reasonable guy."

"Cross your fingers."

As the two exited the car, Danny could see that the funeral march was beginning. Men carrying a casket dressed in white robes began to emerge from the funeral home, while four others in the same robes carried musical instruments as part of the march. Among the people walking alongside the casket carriers were some members of the Tokyo city Council, and the wife of Hai-Qing Lee. She was in her early forties, wearing a slimming black dress while only carrying her purse with her. She also wore her hair in a half-bun with the rest flowing underneath. The last person to come out after a few more people came out to march was Po Shen, the person Danny mentioned. He was short and slightly round in body structure. His hair was somewhat disheveled, and his left eye was half opened. He also sported a greying mustache. Danny slightly rushed to him, to Kaneki's surprise.

"Shifu, wait up!"

As Kaneki ran after him, Mr. Shen sees Danny jogging towards him.

"Better late than never, Mr. Rand."

"So sorry, Mr. Shen. Traffic was messy getting here."

"Who's he?"

Mr. Shen mentioned Kaneki, who had just caught up to Danny.

"He's a student of mine. Don't worry. He won't cause a disturbance."

"Nah, I ain't worried about that. I'm more worried about the march."

"So, the wake went off without a hitch, then?"

"Who causes chaos in a wake?!"

Mr. Shen laughed for a bit at how Danny was worried that something bad would happen at a funeral wake.

"Nobody. Not when Mrs. Lee is in the room. Just stay behind me, and with the group that's following me."

Both Danny and Kaneki then turned their attention to the group of men that were wearing the same types of outfits the two gentlemen that brought them here were wearing before. Mr. Shen then said to Danny,

"Keep an eye out. Anything could happen."

Mr. Shen then walked to catch up with the casket march. Both Danny and Kaneki followed, but not too close. As the funeral march then made its way to the middle of the neighborhood, Kaneki asked how he knew Mr. Shen. He spoke softly as to not disturb the march proceedings.

"Shifu, how did you come to know Mr. Shen?"

"Well, he was one of the people who first helped me when I came to Japan."

"Right. Your mission."

"Yes…my mission. Po Shen was the leader of the local gang called the Golden Tigers. They ran the Yokohama Chinatown some time ago. They still do. Anyways, Mr. Shen is somewhat a believer of the old ways. He modernized in some respects, but his family played their parts in the history of China. He's a believer of the city of K'un-Lun. When he heard about the Iron Fist arriving in Tokyo, he ordered his gang to come get me, and see the fist for himself. He did, and with his help, the Hand existed in Japan no more."

"Alongside the… gang you had to pass a trial to earn their help?"

"…Yes. It wasn't easy to get both sides to get along. And they never worked together again."

Kaneki laughed nervously at that last part.

"When I came back here, I maintained my good relationship with Po Shen by helping him out when he needed it. Luckily, it wasn't that much. The only other time he asked for my help was during the meeting to stop the violence tearing apart Tokyo."

"So, the Golden Tigers…"

"They're the good guys. Mr. Shen keep them that way."

Kaneki looks at the Tigers, with one of them giving a thumbs up to him. Kaneki returned the sentiment with a thumbs up of his own and a smile.

"Well, if they have your seal of approval, I can relax then."

As the march continued, Kaneki looked around the neighborhood. For some reason, the environment became foggy. Then, he spots a man wearing a black and red robe, and a red turban while also carrying a small hatchet. He then spots another one, only without a turban. The Tiger group see them as well and began to whisper to each other in Chinese. Kaneki asked Danny about the rival gang the Tigers fought before.

"Uh, Shifu? What was the name of the rival gang?"

"Crimson Hatchets. They fight hard and with no mercy. Why?"

"I think I saw a couple of them, and I'm not the only one."

As Danny looked around the neighborhood, he saw more of the Hatchets surrounding the march. He then looked at Mr. Lee's wife but was being spirited away by one of her men.

"Kaneki, stay alert and do what I tell you."

One of the Hatchets emerged from the fog and fired a gunshot with a silver revolver. This made everyone within the march immediately stop in their tracks. The Hatchets finally emerged from the fog. Their numbers ranged between 60 to 70. One of them stepped forward wearing a bullet sash, like the ones worn by bad guys in a Sergio Leone film, while also sporting two revolver holsters. Danny sees this and immediately went to Mr. Shen's side.

"How many of your men did you bring?"

"30."

"Don't think that's going to be enough."

"With you and your student, that makes it 61."

"Don't bring him into this."

"All right. 60."

Danny then turned his attention and said to Kaneki,

"Go for cover. Right now."

Kaneki followed Danny's instructions with no hesitation. He went to a nearby alleyway and just observed what was going to happen. The gunslinger Hatchet performed a series of movements while silently chanting. When he finished, one of the Hatchets used an AR-15 and shot at the funeral crowd. The men in white robes were the first to die at the opening salvo, prompting the crowd to flee to safety. The Tigers also took cover, but also carried weapons of their own. At least nine of them carried firearms of their own (from Uzis to semi-automatic pistols) while the rest carried knives, nun-chucks, and whatever close-range weapons they could hide within their suits. Two more Hatchets stepped up to shot whatever Tigers they could kill with AK-47s. They shot everything within their line of fire, including the casket that held Hai-Qing Lee's corpse. The Tigers eventually returned fire, taking down some of the Hatchets, thus reducing their numbers when they could. Both sides eventually stopped firing at each other. The Tigers had their numbers intact while the Hatchets lost at least 10 men. However, the Hatchets still outmatched the Tigers two to one. The Tigers stepped onto the streets first, taking out their various close-range weapons they too had with them in case the Hatchets would try to attack them during the funeral of Hai-Qing Lee. Both Po Shen's and Danny's fears were proven correct. The Hatchets came armed with bladed weapons of their own. Some of the Hatchets even came to fight the Tigers with meat cleavers. Danny could feel the bloodlust the Crimson Hatchets had and were more than eager to fill the streets of Ikebukuro with the blood of the Golden Tigers. Danny spoke out loud a warning to the Crimson Hatchets in their native tongue.

"Shēn hóngsè de fǔtóus! Wǒ gěi nǐ zhège jǐnggào. Xiànzài líkāi nǐ de shēnghuó wánhǎo wúsǔn. Jīntiān méiyǒu rén bìxū sǐ. Zhè shì āidào rì. Yīgè nǚrén shīqùle tā de zhàngfū! Yīgè shèqū shīqùle lǐngdǎo zhě! Xiànzài líkāi, wǒ jiāng ràng jīn hǔ duì de lǐngdǎo rén yǔ nǐ jiànmiàn. Nǐ huì jiēshòu zhège yōuhuì ma?!" ( **Crimson Hatchets! I give you this one warning. Leave now with your lives intact. None have to die today. This is a day of mourning. A woman has lost her husband! A community has lost their leader! Leave now, and I will have the leader of the Golden Tigers meet with yours. Will you take this offer?!)**

Silence filled the space between the Tigers and the Hatchets for a while before it was broken by the Hatchets laughing at Danny's words. Although crestfallen, Danny mustered up the power of his chi and channeled it into his fist. The Hatchets see this and immediately stopped laughing at him.

"Hěn hǎo. Zhǐ zhīdào wǒ gěile nǐ yītiáo chūlù. Nǐ cháoxiào tā." ( **Very well. Just know that I gave you a way out. And you laughed at it**.)

(play _The Alley (War) – Big Trouble in Little China OST – skip to 0:33_ )

A standoff between the Tigers and Hatchets occurred for a moment before one of the Hatchets started yelling. Which prompted everyone else on both sides to yell as well. As the Hatchets charged towards the Tigers, Danny put up his as a sign to hold their positions. Which proved itself to be a good move as Danny punched the ground with his glowing fist. He punched the ground in a way that allowed him to direct the shockwave towards the charging Hatchets. The Hatchets that ran the fastest were the ones most affected by the shockwave as they flew into the air and suffered life threatening injuries when they crashed onto the ground. The Tigers cheered at this as they charged towards the Hatchets, taking advantage of their temporary state of confusion and shock. And so, great and terrible fighting ensued between the Golden Tigers and the Crimson Hatchets. Although the Hatchets were relentless and savage in their attacks, the Tigers were disciplined and precise in their strikes. Kaneki saw the fighting from the alleyway he was hiding in. He looked around to see only Tigers and Hatchets fighting each other, but none of the guests from the funeral. He assumed that they all ran from the neighborhood. He then turned his attention to his Shifu. He sees Danny fighting off at least seven Hatchets by himself. Although his fists were not glowing, his skills in martial arts made him more than a match against gang members. A part of him wanted to help his Shifu.

 _So, why don't you?_

" _What?_ "

 _I can feel what you're feeling right now. Why don't you help him?_

" _He ordered me to stay here._ "

 _You didn't defeat Victor and his goons by following orders._

" _I'm not following them for the hell of it. He's got it handled._ "

 _Situations like these always escalate when you least expect it._

(end music)

Just then, a huge explosion occurred behind the gang war. A great green swirling mist emerged straight up from the ground. Both the Tigers and Hatchets ran in the opposite direction of the mist. The only one who did not run was Danny. What came out of the mist was a warrior in ancient clothes and a large round straw hat. He yelled intermittently while performing martial art moves, then slowly exhaled as a show of intimidation. While this made the gangs nervous, Danny remained unfazed. Kaneki wondered what was happening now.

" _Who is the hell is that?_ "

 _The situation escalating._

Then another warrior arrived, this time he came floating down from the sky while it rained. He dressed in the same fashion as his comrade. He even performed the same show of intimidation, only without the yelling. He instead snarled. Then one more warrior came. He came down from the sky, but with a lightning bolt in hand. Like his comrades before, he performed a show of intimidation. However, what made it so effective that it even made Danny show some concern was that lightning literally coursed through his entire body as he did it. Danny gave one command to both the Tigers and the Hatchets.

"RUN! NOW!"

Both gangs did as he commanded and ran for their lives. When they all left, the only ones that remained were the mysterious warriors, Danny, and Kaneki. Danny first got out his cloth mask and placed it on his face, then summoned his chi into his fists. The warriors were perplexed by how their opponent's fist glowed. Danny then performed a show of intimidation of his own. It was a simple one, as he simply performed a wide stance while giving a loud, impassioned yell. However, when he performed the stomp at the end of the stance, it created a small crater. The warriors still stood but were impressed by Danny's demonstration of power.

(play _The Storms_ – same OST as before)

The center warrior gave a command in Chinese, which prompted his comrades to take out their dual curved knives. After performing a simultaneous somersault, they each threw their curved knives at Danny, only for the knives to either miss or be deflected by him.

"The Three Storms, I presume?"

The center storm brought out his crescent knives, the storm on the left used tiger claws (retractable metal sticks with claw attachments), and the storm on the right brought out spinning blades located on the palms of his hands. The storm with the claws charged towards Danny while swinging his weapons, but Danny dodged each swing before dealing a powerful punch to the storm's gut. This caused the claw storm to fly backward the other end of the neighborhood. The other two storms surrounded Danny. Danny readied himself for anything his foes had in store for him. The storm with the spinning blades nodded at the storm with the knives. The knife storm leapt into the air and stayed afloat. Danny remembered that the storm with the spinning blades also controlled lightning. With his spinning blades, he summoned wind so powerful that it caused Danny to lose his footing. The storm would not let up with the wind. Danny used all his strength to not let the powerful wind to propel him backwards. He looks back to see the storm with the crescent knives unaffected by the wind. He had a smile on his face as he readied his knives to stab Danny with. Kaneki steps out of the alleyway he hid in a little to see what was happening to his Shifu.

" _Shifu!_ "

 _You gonna let him stand alone?_

Kaneki made the decision to disobey his Shifu's orders. Taking advantage of the fact that the Storms were unaware of his existence, Kaneki ran as fast and as quietly as he could to stab the lightning storm in the back.

 _SNIKT!_

The lightning storm yelled in pain while also stopping the wind surge that almost sent Danny Rand towards the knife storm. The knife storm saw his comrade in pain, and flew towards him, but Danny stopped him by redirecting his chi to his legs, leapt as high as the knife storm did, and kicked him with tremendous force in the face. This strike made the knife storm crash to the concrete road hard. Kaneki held on the storm he stabbed with his claws. However, stabbing would not make the storm go down so easily. Lightning coursed through the storm's body, which caused Kaneki to experience great pain as he held on. When the storm summoned lightning more powerful than before, it made Kaneki to yell even louder in pain. Danny sees this and was dismayed by the sight of his student in pain.

"KANEKI!"

Eventually, the power within the lighting caused Kaneki to fly a few feet from the storm. He writhed on the ground as the storm turned around to see who was it that stabbed him. He sees Kaneki with his metal claws out and in pain. The lighting storm laughed a little, then walked closer to Kaneki to finish him off. However, he would be stopped in his tracks when Danny dug his glowing fist through the storm's chest. Kaneki felt relieved when his Shifu came to his rescue. The lightning storm, unfortunately, would not go down so easily. With whatever strength he had left, he attempted to summon lightning to do to Danny what he did to Kaneki.

"Shifu!"

Already regenerated from his injuries, Kaneki managed to stop the storm by stabbing him in the head, instantly killing him. When both Kaneki and Danny let go, the storm fell dead. The two remaining storms stood with utter shock that one of their own fell dead at the hands of Iron Fist and his mutant ally. Then the storms turned their attention from them to someone else. Danny looked at where the storms were facing, and the expression on his face went from serious to dread.

"Shifu, what's happening?"

"Kaneki, I want you to keeping looking at me. Don't look anywhere else."

Kaneki tried to follow Danny's request, but he felt some outside force that compelled him to disobey.

" _Can't…disobey him…but…_ "

 _Try to resist! DON'T LOOK BACK!_

Kaneki felt somebody's hand grabbing his shoulder. The hand looked old, pale, and had long fingernails. Kaneki leapt in terror and finally looked what was behind him by impulse. It was revealed to be an old man with pale white skin, while dressed like a Chinese emperor. Kaneki continued to look at him.

"YEN LO FEI! LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

Danny's plea fell on deaf ears and Yen Lo Fei blinded Kaneki by emitting light from both his eyes and mouth. Kaneki screamed as the light was hurting him. Danny, not wanting to see his student hurt anymore, summoned his chi into his fist. He then pushed his student aside and made his fist shine brighter than before. This made Lo Fei squeal in pain over the light of the Iron Fist. He uttered a command in Chinese to the remaining storms to retreat. They obeyed with one of them carrying their deceased comrade. Once they were gone, the neighborhood fell silent. Only property damage by the fighting and the bullet-ridden casket remained along with Danny and Kaneki.

"Kaneki, are you alright?"

"Shifu, are you there?!"

"I'm right here!"

"I can't see you! I can't see anything."

Danny realized that Kaneki was blinded by Lo Fei. He held both of Kaneki's shoulders to ease him.

"I'm right here. Don't move."

"Shifu, what are you doing?"

Danny summoned his chi into hand one more time. Whereas he used it to fight before, now he was utilizing its healing properties to bring back Kaneki's eyesight. He blinked a couple of times before he could see Danny again.

"I can see. Everything's back to normal now."

"Not really."

Confused by everything that went on, Kaneki asked Danny a series of questions.

"Shifu, who were those mutants?"

"Not mutants. Demigods. They're called the Three Storms. They ordinarily avoid the affairs of humanity until they sense a being of power worth swearing their fidelity to."

"Like that…what was that name you said?"

Danny sighed as he did not Kaneki to be more involved than before.

"Kaneki let me get you home. I don't want to worry Yoshimura if he finds out that you got attack by something he couldn't understand. Let alone get involved in something that would let people know about your…"

Danny pointed to his right eye, indicating Kaneki's ghoul eye. Kaneki, however, felt different.

"I don't think that…I'll live with myself if I let you handle this alone."

"Kaneki, this is not up for discussion! We're heading back to the 20th ward."

"No Shifu! I won't."

"Don't disobey me."

"STOP THINKING IT THAT WAY!"

Danny summoned his chi one last time to stomp the ground. In order to prevent more of Kaneki's outbursts.

"This is my final order. We are going back."

Kaneki, however, had one more thing to say.

"Shifu, why won't you let me help you? You didn't hesitate to help me with Tsukiyama. I could've refused you right there and then, but I didn't."

"That was different. You are my student. My responsibility. Not to mention you were being hunted down by rogue mutants, don't forget that."

"Fine, but my point is this. I didn't hesitate to accept your help, and that's why I'm alive and here. I want to return the favor."

Kaneki remained resolute in wanting to help Danny hunt down the ones responsible for today's events. Danny did not want Kaneki to get hurt or exposed as a one-eyed mutant, but considering the threat he was facing, Danny could not afford to be picky about who could stand on his side. He sighed in resignation.

"You listen to everything I say. No objections."

"Shi de, Shifu."

Danny sighed one more time.

"First we head back to the tux shop. Yours is a wreck."

Kaneki looks at the tuxedo he wore to find out that it possessed several burn singes.

"My fault."

"Then after that, we're headed for Yokohama."

xxxxxx

After spending half an hour at the tux shop explaining to the owners how their rented tuxedos received such unexpected damage, Kaneki and Danny then took the train to Yokohama. Once they arrived, the two then made their way to the local Chinatown. Kaneki noticed something about it.

"It seems larger than the one in Ikebukuro."

"True. The Chinatown in Ikebukuro was established just in the 1980's while the one here in Yokohama established itself in the late 1850's."

"That's neat. So, why the fighting?"

"Well, during the 70's, Two Chinese businessmen came to Japan during when the economy grew. They were also savvy in dealing with the criminal underworld. Guess who they were."

"Po Shen and Hai-Qing Lee?"

"That's right. Po Shen ran the Yokohama Chinatown before Hai-Qing Lee could. Thus, resulting in a lot of fighting between them. Shen established the Golden Tigers to solidify his control while Lee created the Crimson Hatchets to take it from him. It wouldn't be until the 80's that Mr. Lee had an idea of his own."

"I think I know where you're going with this. He wanted to establish a Chinatown in Ikebukuro, and since this was during the bubble economy of the late 1980's, he could have the money to do it."

"Exactly. After the recession happened, he was one of the few people who were least unaffected by it. That was how Hai-Qing Lee became one of Tokyo's valued financial benefactors. But the recession still affected him. The only way for him to stay ahead was to cripple the competition."

"What did he do?"

"He used the Hatchets to muscle small business close to his Chinatown to pay 'protection'. His influence took about 35 years to reach Yokohama. The gang war between the Golden Tigers and the Crimson Hatchets was brutal but hidden. Both Lee and Shen were careful as to not let the authorities catch on to what was going on. Hai-Quin Lee had a lot to lose if his facade as a respected Captain of Industry was destroyed. Eventually, Lee's actions were looked upon favorably by an organization that would compel him to bend his knee to them."

"You mean…"

"The Hand. You remember when I said that Po Shen was a believer of K'un-Lun?"

"Yeah. So, that's you came in?"

"Yes. When I arrived in Japan, the war between the Tigers and the Hatchets had reached a fever pitch. Thanks in part to the Hand. I would eventually take down their main headquarters here thanks in part to Po Shen. After the Hand fell, I helped broker peace between the Tigers and the Hatchets. Both Shen and Lee agreed to stay within their respective Chinatowns, and spare Tokyo of their war."

"And all this happened while nobody knew?"

"Well, Hai-Qing Lee had connections in the media to downplay the destruction of the Hand Headquarters as a routine building demolition."

"Sounded like you did a good job. One more question, though. Where did you finally defeat the Hand?"

Danny continued walking silent for a while before giving an answer.

"Back in my home of New York. During the siege of their Headquarters here, I found out what it was they were seeking. It was back in my home. And it turned out, the Hand were still active in New York even after I destroyed my father's company. They were seeking something in Midtown without my knowing. A way for the leaders of the Hand to make themselves become immortal. Later, I would soon discover that I wasn't the only one who was working hard to defeat the Hand."

"Who else knew about the Hand?"

"Some local heroes who would later become friends."

Kaneki silently felt satisfied hearing about the other powered people that helped him defeat the hand.

"Two didn't really believe in secret identities. They were Jessica Jones, a P.I and Luke Cage."

"What were their powers?"

"Both had super strength, but Jessica could leap high distances while Luke had bulletproof skin. And then, there was one other hero who really made an impression on the Hand."

"Who was he?"

Asked Kaneki in an amazed voice.

"The Devil of Hell's Kitchen, Daredevil. I had… so much respect for him. Together, we defeated the Hand and buried them in the rubble of their own hubris and greed. None of us could forget the sacrifices needed to get there."

"Wait, sacrifices?"

Danny instantly regretted saying the word sacrifices.

"I'd…rather not explain that part, Kaneki. It's still hard for me to talk about. Even today."

Kaneki could tell that what he wanted to find out next was painful for Danny to talk about. He decided to drop it.

"Fine then. I'll drop it."

"Thank you."

As they walked further along, Kaneki asked a different type of question.

"Shifu, is there any chance we could stop somewhere to eat?"

"That's actually the whole point of why we're here."

Kaneki was confused by that statement.

"Huh?"

Danny stopped first, with Kaneki following to discover that they were in front of a restaurant called the Crane of the Blue Pond.

"Um…I know I said I wanted a bite to eat…"

"And you honestly read my mind. Come on. Let's go inside."

Still feeling perplexed, Kaneki followed Danny into the restaurant. Once inside, the two waited for a little to be greeted by any member of the staff. Kaneki found the restaurant to be not just clean, but well decorated and nicely put together. It would not be long before the two were greeted by an elderly man wearing apron on top of a traditional Chinese robe.

"So terribly sorry. It's a slow day today. Please take any…"

The elderly gentleman stopped in his tracks. Kaneki saw the gentleman's face slowly building up glee when he saw his Shifu, while Danny responded in kind.

"Yǐjīng hěnjiǔle, bùshì ma?" ( **It's been a long time, hasn't it**?)

"Zài wǒ kàn lái tài zhǎngle!" ( **Far too long in my opinion!** )

The two hugged briefly, which led Kaneki more confused than he was before. Danny explained why.

"Kaneki, this is Li Wong. He runs the Crane of the Blue Pond, one of the best restaurants in Yokohama."

Mr. Wong laughed a little in humility.

"You exaggerate, Iron Fist."

"Shifu, he knows you're the Iron Fist?"

"Shifu? He's your student?"

"Yes, he is. And back to you Kaneki, many of the people here still believe in the old ways. The Iron Fist is one of them"

Mr. Wong elaborated on what Danny meant.

"Many stories pertaining to guardians like the Iron Fist are often told to preserve the memory of the days when ancient forces of good and evil collided. Those battles made the world into what it is today."

"More or less."

Kaneki slightly laughed at how Danny tried to downplay the grandiosity of his powers.

"What may I do for you, Mr. Rand?"

"First thing, can me and my student get a bite to eat?"

"Absolutely! Please sit anywhere you like."

Both Danny and Kaneki instantly chose from the menu that Mr. Wong presented to them. After waiting for less than half an hour, the food they ordered was ready. Although Kaneki did need to eat, he was astonished to see his Shifu's appetite.

"That's a big order, Shifu."

"My chi eats up practically any calorie I ingest into my body. That's why I pretty much need a feast to keep me in good shape. But not too much of a feast."

Kaneki lightly laughed at how Danny downplayed the exact amount of food he needs to eat, but anymore and it would show.

"Well, you're not lying when you said this is one of the best restaurants around. The potstickers here are to die for."

"I know right?"

Both lightly laughed at how they were momentarily enjoying themselves. By then, Mr. Wong came to them to tell Danny something important.

"I have already contacted Eddie. He's on his way."

"Thanks, Mr. Wong."

"Is there anything more I can make for you, gentlemen?"

Kaneki took the offer.

"May I have seconds, please?"

By the time the two were almost done with their meal, the man by the name of Eddie Wong finally made it to the restaurant. He looks around the place to find Danny with another person.

"Danny Rand!"

Danny stopped eating for a moment when he heard his name being spoken. He sees who it was at the entrance of the restaurant. He was a few years older than Kaneki, wore a green plaid suit with dark brown pants, a blue tie with white stripes, and seemed nice to be around.

"Eddie Wong!"

He got up, walked towards the entrance, and gave Eddie both a hearty handshake and a quick hug.

"How you've been?"

"All around, pretty good. Dojo business good?"

"Has its ups and downs. But then again, you probably already know that."

"Sorry, buddy. My territory is Yokohama only."

"Oh well. Join me and my student?"

"Sure."

Both walked towards the table where Kaneki sat.

"Ken Kaneki, this is Eddie Wong."

"Nice to meet you."

"Likewise. You're his student?"

"Yeah. He's teaching me kung-fu."

"If you're learning kung-fu from the Iron Fist, you're learning from the best."

"Eddie here is the maître d' for the restaurant."

"And a whole lot more."

"Right. He's also the information broker for all of Yokohama."

"There you go."

"He's the reason why we came here."

"So, Eddie knows about what made the Crimson Hatchets try to kill everyone during the funeral?"

"And how."

Both Danny and Kaneki stopped eating for a while to listen to what Eddie said.

"I managed to find out that fight you guys witnessed. The word is, there's a sort of fissure within the Crimson Hatchets. Some of them wanted to re-ignite their war with the Golden Tigers."

"Why?"

Asked Danny in a concerned tone.

"Well, a month before his death, Hai-Qing Lee met with some sort of mysterious investor who wanted to buy the three docks he owned in the Yokohama port. Lee refused, and that's where the problems started. Suddenly, a faction within the Hatchets wanted to continue where they left off with the Tigers all those years ago. Mr. Lee didn't want to start another gang war, and even cooperated with Po Shen to put down the warmongers. By the time an agreement was made, that same night he died."

"That's horrible. Who could've done it?"

Asked Kaneki.

"Who indeed? The faction within the Hatchets, led by an somebody named Chen Wu, used the meeting as a rallying point to re-ignite hostilities between the Hatchets and the Tigers. They're that gung-ho over going to war with the Tigers again."

Kaneki imagined his home being torn asunder by gang violence. It gave him a sense of dread. Danny asked Eddie about Chen Wu.

"I imagine Chen Wu wasn't part of the Hatchets for that long."

"He came to Yokohama two months ago. Before he rolled with the Hatchets, he was part of the Yakuza, in Tokyo's 15th ward. Before they were wiped out."

"Wiped out?"

"It was a massacre. He was the only survivor. None of the other gangs would touch him. Bad luck and all that."

Danny sighed at how the situation seemed so complicated to solve, let alone stop.

"What about Po Shen? How's he handling this?"

"Well, that's why I wanted to come here. I was actually at your dojo before I came here."

"I hadn't realized. What you need, Ed?"

Mr. Wong arrived with Kaneki's food, just in time to hear the rest of the conversation.

"It's not about what I need. It's about a message I have for you. Po Shen wants you to come with him. He's arranged a meeting with Hai-Qing's wife, Sherry Lee. She's in charge of her husband's businesses now."

"As well as the Hatchets."

"He wants to make peace with her right away. Po Shen believes that the real murderer is probably an agent working for him."

Danny then had an angry and regretful look on his face. Then spoke somebody's name with a silent, yet rage-induced, name.

"Yen Lo Fei."

Kaneki asked Eddie who he was exactly.

"Eddie, do you know who Yen Lo Fei is?"

Eddie was hesitant to answer Kaneki's question. However, Mr. Wong gave one of his own.

"To know Yen Lo Fei is to know an agent of darkness."

"I know something about that darkness. He blinded me with some eerie light coming out of his body."

Both Eddie and Mr. Wong expressed shock at Kaneki's experience.

"If it wasn't for Shifu, I would've been blind for good. How was he able to do that?"

Mr. Wong explained in a light but ominous tone.

"He has spirit-medium powers. Like the ancient immortals from long ago. His flesh and bones are but mere illusions to fool lesser men. He is a dream."

"Not a dream."

Danny finally spoke about Yen Lo Fei but explained in a way that was abstract.

"A nightmare made manifest by the power of demons."

"Well, either way, he definitely wants this meeting to go in a bad way. So bad, the conflict would most likely tear apart Tokyo. More so than the ghouls."

Kaneki asked,

"When is it?"

"Tonight. Two hours before midnight. They meet at the docks here in Yokohama."

"Okay. Mr. Wong, mind if we…?"

"You're going home."

Kaneki did not like how his Shifu was trying to brush him aside again.

"Shifu!"

"No buts! I'm taking you back to the 20th ward right now. This is way too dangerous for you."

"He's right, kid. With all that's going on, you're better off staying at home."

"But Shifu, I helped you with the Three Storms. One of them is dead because we…"

"And he's mostly likely resurrected. Demigods don't die so easily, Kaneki! Either they have a method of resurrection or they serve a master who can pull it off easy. I don't want you more involved than you are right now."

Kaneki wanted to say more but lacked the proper words to express it. Danny then spoke to Eddie.

"Tell Po Shen I'll be there."

"Great. I'll send word. When will you be back?"

"Hopefully before nightfall. I'll come back here if Shen sends somebody to pick me up."

Danny placed his hand on one of Kaneki's shoulders.

"Let's go."

"One moment."

Said Mr. Wong with Danny replying,

"Right. Forgot to pay you for this."

"That. And I have Mr. Kaneki's leftovers."

Mr. Wong was quick to grab a styrofoam tray from his kitchen and placed Kaneki's seconds inside it.

"Thank you for your patronage."

"Anytime, Mr. Wong"

Said Kaneki in a grateful yet glum voice.

xxxxxx

By the time the two finally went all the way back to the dojo, it was already a little past sunset. Both Danny and Kaneki were surprised to find Yomo in front of the dojo.

"Yomo?"

He hears Kaneki and looks to see him alongside Danny.

"Yoshimura asked me to locate you. You were pretty hard to find, Kaneki."

"Sorry. I forgot to mention that Shifu cancelled lessons for today."

"It's not just that. We heard on the news about the gang violence that happened in Ikebukuro. Yoshimura used his connections to find out what had happened."

Kaneki feared that Yoshimura must have heard about how he was hurt by the Demigods who tried to hurt Danny and how he stepped in. Yomo then turned his attention to Danny.

"I imagine you're involved in something that you don't want Kaneki in, correct?"

"That's right. That's why we came back here. Would you make sure he gets home tonight?"

"Yes."

Danny then turned his attention to Kaneki.

"I'll see you when everything is resolved, Kaneki."

Danny sees his student in a despondent manner.

"Kaneki, it's not that I don't trust you. Nor do I think you're not capable of handling yourself in a dangerous situation. But with what's going on, I don't want to put you in a position where you might be exposed to either the doves or those mutants who tried to take you. I care about your safety. Not just as your teacher, but as your ally. However, Yoshimura trusted me to keep your secret and his. I refuse to violate that trust."

Kaneki eventually sighed when Danny told him that although he can handle himself in a tense situation but did not anyone to hurt him. Kaneki did not want his Shifu to blame himself if anything bad happened to him.

"Okay."

Danny patted Kaneki on the back as a sign of relief.

"I'll be fine. You have my word."

Kaneki nodded in agreement. Both Kaneki and Danny went their separate ways for now. As soon as Kaneki arrived at his apartment building, Yomo assuaged him of any lingering doubts.

"I believe what your sensei told you. Yoshimura doesn't give anybody the benefit of the doubt. When he does, it's usually for good reason. I believe he'll be fine. But if it'll make you feel any better, tomorrow I'll try to find out how the meeting went down."

Kaneki smiled at Yomo's offer.

"Thanks, Yomo."

"I'll see you tomorrow."

xxxxxx

(The next day)

Morning went off without any problems for Kaneki. Although he checked the news both on his tv and phone for any news regarding incidents in Yokohama, there were none reported as he saw. Kaneki concluded that the meeting was successful and his Shifu was in the process of defeating those responsible for the ongoing chaos within Ikebukuro and Yokohama. Kaneki even remembered one of the three storms he helped defeat.

" _I remembered he took out one of those storms. But they're not stupid. They could come up with a decent strategy to defeat him._ "

 _Kind of makes you wish you could just skip today in order to find out if he's okay._

Kaneki was tempted to do that, but recalled what Danny said to him last night.

" _I won't do that. Shifu said that he doesn't doubt my ability to handle myself in a serious situation like yesterday. But with Victor and whatever mutants has on his side still out there, I can't risk myself. And even if they weren't a factor, what happens if the doves find out about Anteiku? Because of me?_ "

 _Excuses. That's all I'm hearing._

" _Yeah well, what I do affects more than just me. So, no judging._ "

Kaneki got himself ready for college. Today, he only had one class. That meant he could finally head for his studio and would finally start a project he had in mind. Once his class was over, he immediately ran just to get started. Kaneki entered inside, taking a moment to take a good look of the place.

" _It's been too damn long. I just want to spray something right now._ "

Kaneki had an idea in his head for quite some time, and finally had the opportunity to get it out of his head. He first played a song from his personal playlist.

(play _P. Control - Prince_ )

Kaneki mostly like to read books, but occasionally, he would listen to a manga recommendation from Hide. He only stayed with two. One was Dragon Ball and the other was Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. He had a certain love for Jojo since it wasn't just one continuous storyline like other manga titles out there. He found those to be monotonous. Jojo was many different things due to how the author had an approach to storytelling that set him apart. Not to mention his art style evolved to the point that it was worthy of display at the Louvre in Paris. Not many comic book artists, let alone manga artists, had that distinction. Kaneki wanted to do something inspired by both the author of Jojo, Hirohiko Araki, and the author's favorite music artist, Prince. He wanted to create different versions of Prince dressed as the Jojo protagonists from Phantom Blood to the current arc, Jojolion. The only difficulty he would come across was how to gender-bend Prince when it came to Jolyne Kujo's outfit, considering gender-bending a famous music artist was not something that came to him so easily. He would not try it until he finished all the male Jojo protagonists. By the time he had to come in for work, he was all done. Kaneki felt smart saving Jolyne for last. Before he set off, he took a series of photos on his phone to print out for his personal album later. Nevertheless, Kaneki felt content to see Prince in the outfits of every Jojo protagonist. The ones he loved doing the most were Josuke Higashikata from Diamond is Unbreakable and Johnny Joestar from Steel Ball Run.

" _Josuke was a little easy due to how similar his uniform was to one of Prince's outfits. Johnny, on the other hand, was fun to do._ "

(end music)

xxxxxx

Kaneki made it Anteiku with a smile on his face. He greeted whoever were working right now with pleasure.

"Hey everyone. Working hard or hardly working?"

Although Touka, Nishiki, and Irimi were working the tables today, they did so with a worried look on their faces when Kaneki entered the café. He was concerned as to why. It was then that Yoshimura came into the café with the same expression on his face.

"Yoshimura?"

"Kaneki. Please come inside my office."

He followed him via the employee entrance and into his office. Once inside, Kaneki discovered Yomo inside.

"Yomo?"

"Please sit."

Once he sat down, Yoshimura told him about what happened last night.

"Kaneki, it's about Mr. Rand."

Kaneki felt nervous about what Yoshimura was going to tell him.

"Last night, an incident in Yokohama resulted in three properties on the docks being destroyed by an unknown weather phenomenon. Yomo was there to witness it."

Kaneki felt nervous when Yoshimura said those two words.

" _The Three Storms…_ "

"The only details he could tell me are this. A Mr. Po Shen and a Ms. Sherry Lee met there to discuss the incident both you and Daniel Rand witnessed. I assume it was meant to ease tensions, but then that phenomenon occurred that halted the outcome of said talks. The only other detail I know is the one I wanted you, Kaneki, to hear from me."

He now went from nervous to tense.

"Kaneki, Danny Rand is in the hospital."

Kaneki struggled to breathe for a moment over the feeling of devastation he was now feeling from the news.

"From what Yomo described to me, he was confronting someone he seemed familiar with. The two conversed with each other before they fought each other. Although Mr. Rand held the advantage against his opponent, Danny was ultimately defeated when one of the Crimson Hatchets snuck up behind him and stabbed him with a knife to the right side of his body."

Kaneki was shocked, and slightly angry, to hear somebody getting the drop on his Shifu in such a dishonorable manner.

"Although Mr. Rand's opponent had him in a position where he could kill him, some of the Golden Tigers went to his rescue and saved him from his death. He is alive, Kaneki."

Kaneki now felt relaxed to hear his Shifu survived last night.

"If you would like to see him Kaneki, please wait after work. I have arranged for you to be escorted to the hospital where Mr. Rand is."

After sighing relief, Kaneki got up from his seat.

"Thank you, Yoshimura."

"My pleasure."

Kaneki exited the room, leaving both Yoshimura and Yomo alone.

"Is that all you're saying?"

"From what you described to me, Yomo, it seems unbelievable. Then again, we live in unbelievable times. Even with the existence of ghouls, our world is never without…surprises. Both old and new."

Kaneki first got into his uniform, then entered the café through the employee entrance. Although he kept the news to himself, both Touka and Nishiki felt a little concerned for Kaneki. They both heard about what happened in Yokohama in the news. With Daniel Rand being mentioned as well. Kaneki just wanted to focus on work until his shift was over. Still, that did not stop the people who visited the café from bringing it up. By the time it was late afternoon, Kaneki's shift was already done. He changed back into his regular clothes and exited the cafe to wait for the escort that would take him to the hospital. While he waited, he heard his name spoken by Touka.

"Kaneki."

He turned around to see both her and Nishiki standing near the café entrance behind him.

"What's up?"

"Well…we didn't want to say anything because…"

Nishiki got to the point.

"We thought that you were too busy being a blissful moron."

"Idiot! That's not what I meant."

"Hey, I'm only telling the truth about this guy."

"No, you're being an asshole!"

"He's actually an asshat. Big difference."

Nishiki felt mad when Kaneki called him that. While the word made Touka laugh a little.

"I'll remember that next time."

"Anyways, I know Shifu's in the hospital. There was an incident at the ports in Yokohama."

Touka and Nishiki looked down in remorse when Kaneki mentioned Danny in the hospital. Touka then asked him,

"Mind if we come with you?"

Nishiki asked as well.

"He did help you in fighting off those mutants who tried to capture you and helped rescue my girlfriend. You don't mind, right?"

Kaneki smile a little when he answered,

"Sure. If you want to."

Just then, a black SUV parked itself in front of Anteiku. Everyone was curious as to who was driving it. The side door facing the street opened and closed to reveal Piotr Rasputin.

"Piotr?"

Said Touka in a surprised tone.

"Good to see you, Ms. Kirishima."

"Yoshimura asked for you?"

"Da, he did. He told me about the Tsukiyama incident. Mr. Nishio Nishiki, I presume?"

Piotr pointed to Nishiki when he asked that question.

"Yeah. Kaneki gave us permission to come with him. We wanted to see Danny Rand as well."

Piotr smiled as he said,

"The more, merrier. Please come in."

Everyone entered the SUV as Piotr started the car and drove them to the hospital where Danny was recovering.

xxxxxx

Everyone arrived at the hospital, with Kaneki almost rushing out of the SUV as soon as Piotr found a parking spot.

"Kaneki!"

Said Piotr. Touka commented on why he did so.

"He's been holding it down, but he really is worried about his sensei, Danny."

"I know that, Ms. Kirishima. But that does not take away fact that Kaneki is wanted person."

"You talking about that mutant, Victor Creed?"

Said Nishiki, asking if Kaneki was also in the dove's radar.

"Sabretooth. Yes. You need not worry about the CGB making him person of interest. He is not there yet."

Although she did not show it, Touka exhaled in relief that the Tsukiyama incident did not reach dove's eyes. She was the second to exit the SUV with Nishiki and Piotr following. Kaneki entered the hospital and walked towards the reception desk.

"Excuse me."

The woman at the desk turned her attention from the computer monitor to him.

"How can I help you, sir?"

"Is there a Daniel Rand here?"

"Let me check."

As the receptionist looked the admission records, Kaneki would later be joined by Touka, Nishiki, and Piotr.

"Room 315 on the third floor. Only two guests at a time."

"Has he been visited by anyone else?"

"Aside from you guys, there was some Chinese people here that stayed with him. Until they had to leave somewhere. Then there was this albino guy. But that's about it."

" _Maybe she's talking about Po Shen and the Golden Tigers. But an albino guy? Who could that be?_ "

Piotr then said to Touka and Nishiki,

"You two should stay here."

Both nodded in agreement and decided to stay in the waiting area. As Kaneki and Piotr got inside the elevator, Kaneki took the opportunity to talk with the former X-Man.

"So, you knew who Victor Creed is?"

"I only knew him from what…an old teammate told to me."

"You mean…"

"Da. Logan."

 _Never thought I'd be glad to see his metal ass again._

" _Again?_ "

The elevator dinged to notify the two that it stopped.

"We're here."

Kaneki and Piotr looked at the door numbers until they found the room Danny stayed in.

"315."

Said Piotr with Kaneki opening the door. As soon as he did, both immediately saw a golden glow emanating from the room. Kaneki further opened the door to see his Shifu within a golden light.

"Kaneki, did you know he could do this?"

Stammering at first, Kaneki gave an answer in tandem with what his Shifu told him about his powers.

"Shifu once used his chi to remove the blindness that Yo Len Fei gave me."

Piotr was confused what he said.

"Yen Lo Fei?"

"Shifu said that he was a nightmare made manifest by demonic powers. I had experienced those demonic powers when Lo Fei took away my eyesight. If Shifu used his chi to restore my eyes, then whatever that knife wound did to him must've prompted him to do…this."

Kaneki stepped forward a little to see Danny clasping his hands together in a meditative fashion.

"I googled Buddhism and kung-fu sometime before I went to his dojo. Some of the religious practices of Buddhism are incorporated in kung-fu training. I imagine Shifu must be meditating, concentrating his chi for self-healing."

"If that is what you think…"

The glowing from Danny's body began to fade, followed by his arms slumping to its sides. His head moved a little as a sign of regaining consciousness.

"Shifu?"

Danny slowly opened his eyes to see Kaneki at his side.

"Kaneki?"

Kaneki smiled at seeing Danny regaining his health.

"Shifu!"

He hugged Danny as a sign of relief. While he gave Kaneki a couple of light taps on his back to return the sentiment.

"I appreciate the hug, Kaneki. Question: is that who I think it is?"

Kaneki broke off the hug in order to properly introduce Danny to Piotr.

"Sorry about that. Shifu, this is Piotr Rasputin. A lot of people knew him from his old callsign."

The two men stared at each other for a moment before the two shook hands.

"I'm vaguely familiar with your work."

"Well, it was long ago. But I still do good work when I can."

"You're with the doves?"

"Yes, but I am also with Anteiku."

Danny expressed shock about Piotr mentioning Anteiku.

"You know what it is?"

"A coffee shop to the public, a sanctuary in actuality. I prefer not to say more. Never know who could be listening."

"Right. Of course."

"I am here with Kaneki for his protection. I was told of rogue mutants during Tsukiyama incident."

Danny asked Kaneki about that.

"Is that what we're calling it now?"

Kaneki gave a weak chuckle before answering.

"Pretty much."

"But I am also investigating incident in Ikebukuro. Although this did not happen in my jurisdiction of 11th ward, the CGB is currently occupied with a growing ghoul situation. Needless to say, if it does not involve ghouls…"

Danny finished Piotr's sentence.

"It's not that important."

"Da. Considering I am assigned to ward that does not see that much ghoul activity, I asked for this assignment. Coupled with Yoshimura's request, I am fully committed to resolving this issue."

Kaneki felt elated and relieved to hear that one of the X-Men would be helping his Shifu with the situation with Yen Lo Fei.

"If you would give me cooperation, I would accept your help Daniel Rand. But you follow my lead. In return, I accept your…expertise in matter such as this."

"Are you saying you know what this entails? We're going up against Yen Lo Fei."

"What I know is from what Yoshimura told me, and past experience."

Kaneki was curious as to what Piotr was talking about.

" _Did Yoshimura tell him something that he didn't tell me? Or does he actually know stuff like what Yen Lo Fei is?_ "

 _The X-men fought against more than just ghouls in our heyday._

" _Woah._ "

Danny then turned his attention to Kaneki.

"Kaneki, I have to apologize."

"For what?"

"Yesterday, when I wanted you back home, that was for your safety. First and foremost. But…another reason is that…taking down somebody like Yen Lo Fei is one of the responsibilities of the Iron Fist. A responsibility that…I feared that I couldn't live up to, and if you saw that, you would be disappointed."

"Disappointed? Why would feel that?"

"Because…I met someone last night. Someone from my past. Someone who I've let down. Severely."

xxxxxx

( _Flashback_ )

Danny arrived at the Crane of the Blue Pond in time to see a black sedan parked in front with a pair of Tigers waiting for him.

"I'm here!"

Said Danny, catching the attention of the Tigers assigned to retrieve him. One of them opened the car door for him to enter inside. They then made their way to a dock in Yokohama port. Danny surmised that Sherry Lee arraigned the meeting to be here. When he stepped outside, he found Po Shen waiting for him.

"Good to know you got my message. Heard about how you defeated one of the storms."

Po Shen looks around to see if Kaneki was with him.

"Where's your student? I know about how he helped you."

Danny sighed as he felt that Eddie knew about what happened more than he let on.

"I ordered him home. For reasons that I'll get into. After this."

"Fine. Sooner we get this out of the way, sooner we can focus on bigger problem."

Two of the Hatchets opened the warehouse door where the meeting took place. Shen gave an order in Chinese to his men. Two of them followed both him and Danny while the rest stayed outside. As the group went further inside the warehouse, they met with a Hatchet guard.

"Any weapons?"

Po Shen simply replied,

"He is the weapon."

The guard stared at Danny for a while until he led the group further into the warehouse. They eventually arrived at a table set up, with Sherry Lee meeting the group.

"Po Shen. Lovely of you to make it."

"Grateful to have made without trouble."

"Shall we get started?"

Both leaders sat at the opposite ends of the table. Shen took out from one of his inner jacket pockets a golden medal with a tiger embedded on it.

"This medal signifies my leadership of the Golden Tigers, as well as my authority of the Yokohama Chinatown."

Sherry Lee snapped her fingers and one of her men placed a black box on her end of the table. She opened it to take out a stick of jade in the shape of a neck and head of a dragon.

"The Dragon Head baton. Symbol of my leadership of the Crimson Hatchets, as well my authority of the Ikebukuro Chinatown. Passed down to me from my husband."

"I accept your authority in this meeting, Ms. Lee."

"And I yours, Po Shen."

Both put away their symbols of authorities and began the meeting. As both Shen and Lee carried on, Danny took a look outside through the warehouse window. He began to notice rain falling. He took out his smartphone to check the weather report for tonight, and it reported no rain.

" _I got a bad feeling about this._ "

The rain came in harder than before. All while the conversation between Po Shen and Sherry Lee became heated.

"As much as our rivalry became heated in our youth, both Hai-Qing and I still held our beliefs in the old ways."

"If you and my husband still held on to your parents' ways, Shen, both of you would never hold the power you have right now!"

"I never completely abandoned them! I only rejected my father's stubborn inflexibility. And Hai-Qing experienced that as well. That was the basis for our friendship. However that period where he attempted to steal Yokohama from me, when I knew about how he was forced to bend the knee to the Hand, I put aside my anger to help him. We both knew about the levels of darkness the Hand was capable of. What they could do. I didn't want to kill him then, and I certainly did not want to kill that time either!"

Lightning and thunder boomed and roared when Shen finished. This gave Sherry Lee a twinge of fear. A fear she tried to put behind her. From when she was a child.

"You can believe that the stories of our ancestors are nothing more than ancient peoples trying to make sense of phenomena that science can make sense of now. And I will not deny that true in some cases. But this is not one of them. They are with us. Even… now."

Danny sees a great mass of swirling jade-colored energy to reveal the Three Storms arriving. Both the Tigers and Hatchets see them arrive and were instantly baffled by it. However, one of the Hatchets stepped forward to speak with them.

"We need to leave. NOW!"

Sherry Lee was offended by Danny's outburst.

"You have no place at this table…!"

Lightning struck the glass windowsill, which caused it to break it apart. Shen then said to Danny,

"You lead. I follow."

Danny lead everyone out the same way they came in. When they all got out, ten of the Tigers Shen had with him laid dead on the concrete. However, among the Storms was Chen Wu. Waiting for her boss.

"Wu! What is this?!"

"A change in management, Ms. Lee."

She felt incensed by his insubordination.

"You have only one chance, Wu."

"And you have none. Your husband should've accepted my master's offer. His death is one of many to bring order to Yokohama."

"Your master?"

Asked Danny in a curious tone.

"Yes, Mr. Rand. And he's been wanting to meet with you again."

Danny feared who Chen was talking about.

"Yes I have."

Said a familiar voice. Danny turned around to see a familiar face. He was about his age, except with tanned skin, a thin beard, wore black robes, and spoke with an english accent.

"Hello Danny."

"Davos?"

"Yes. It is me. The friend you left behind to get back to your world. The comrade you were supposed to stand with by the gates of K'un-Lun! WHERE WERE YOU WHEN IT FELL TO THE HAND?!"

Both Shen and Lee expressed varying degrees of shock when they heard K'un-Lun, one of the seven Capitals of Heaven, falling to the Hand.

"Avenging it. Making the Hand pay for their myriad transgressions against the world. To that end, I have succeeded. The Hand is dead, Davos. Where were you when that happened?"

After a moment of silence, Davos answered his question.

"I'll admit. I was jealous when you were chosen to receive the power of the Iron Fist. I remember the match that determined who would enter the cave of Shou-Lou and receive his power. You had me at my weakest, but you spared me."

"Because you were my friend."

"BECAUSE YOU WERE WEAK! And that weakness infected my father. He stopped the match and declared you the winner. You should've killed me then and there. It's not enough that I had to live with that humiliation, but to live without a home to go back to?"

Danny remembered how strict Davos' mother was to him. He wondered how much of her treatment to him affected his sense of self.

"After seeing K'un-Lun in ruin, I decide then that no matter what, I would take the power of the Iron Fist from you, no matter what."

"Even if it meant selling your soul to Yen Lo Fei?!"

"YES! And it has given me…results."

(play _Slingshot_ – _Trocadero, David Levy, and Meredith Hagan_ )

Davos clenched his left hand into a fist as it glowed black with a purple hue. Danny was utterly devastated by the sight of it. He saw the man who he considered as his brother swearing his allegiance to a monster.

"Davos, why?!"

"Because I hate you, Daniel Rand. Your existence is an affront to all that I swore my life to."

After feeling heartbroken over the man Davos had become, Danny summoned his chi into both his fists.

"And your pact with Yen Lo Fei is disrespecting the legacy of Kei Lung!"

First, both Danny and Davos put on their cloth masks. Whereas Danny's was gold, Davos' was silver. Then, both men charged at each other and eventually fought as they clashed. Vicious exchanges of punches and kicks were exchanged between the two former brothers in arms. While Danny was mindful of Davos' skill, he allowed his anger to dictate his moves. Davos could see it and used it to his advantage. He remembered how Danny fought the last time they spared and got the upper hand because of it. He dealt three blows to Danny's stomach and chest. Davos then leapt back while Danny stood reeling in from the pain.

"You always allowed your emotions to dictate your choices, Danny. That's how I'm beating you!"

Danny spat out some blood and summoned his chi to fight Davos with full strength. Davos likewise did the same. The fight had now gone to another level. Now it was a fight between superpowered individuals. The clashing of chi-powered fists created mini-shockwaves felt across the dock. Shen took this as an opportunity for escape.

"We should run now!"

Both Shen and Lee signaled their men to run from the docks. Chen Wu sees this and gives the Storms an order.

"Kill them all."

One of the Storms answered back.

"We don't take orders from you."

Chen Wu was offended by this, but one of the Storms grabbed his neck with one hand before he could say a word.

"We were ordered by our master to observe the fight between the Iron Fist and the new servant. When he is defeated, we will extract what we need from him. Then we kill him."

The Storm then let go of Chen.

"But you offer a compelling suggestion."

The Storms levitated in the sky and started to destroy the docks that Hai-Qing Lee previously owned. Sherry Lee got into the car safely. She looks to see her property being destroyed by ancient beings of power with a devastated look on her face. While the Hatchets loyal to her fled from the scene, Po Shen gave an order to his men.

"We stay. But fall back to a safe distance."

The Tigers obeyed Shen's orders. While the fight between Danny and Davos raged on. Everything around them burned down due to the Storms, but they did not care. For Danny, defeating Davos was the priority. And Davos felt the same. Both continued their fight as the docks turned to the concrete ground. Davos took one glance of the environment during the fight, and used the chaos the Storms were producing to his advantage. Davos ran for a little with Danny giving chase. The fire and falling debris got in his way as he slowly lost track of his opponent. Danny slowly realized that Davos wanted to chase him as he found himself in a space that was surrounded by blazing fire. Danny took a deep breath to concentrate and ease his heightened emotional state. Within his now calm state of mind, he used his chi to heighten his senses. Now he could hear footsteps within the fire walking around him. When Danny opened his eyes, he instantly blocked Davos' strike and delivered a series of swift and powerful punches. Danny offered Davos no opportunity to defend himself during his attacks. Both the Storms and Wu see this with great displeasure. One of the Storms conjured up a dagger and gave it to Wu.

"This dagger is laced with poison that modern medicine cannot cure. The Iron Fist will be forced to use his chi to recover. That will give us the advantage."

Wu accepts the dagger as one of the Storms clears a path for him to stab Danny. While Danny finished up the fight, resulting Davos' defeat. The fight that determined who would wield the power of Shou-Lou came back to him. He remembered how he had Davos right where he had him. On the ground, on all fours, bloodied and exhausted.

( _end music_ )

Davos looked up at him.

"Again, you have the higher ground. If you truly are the Iron Fist, then kill me. Kill all those who wish to do you harm! That is what a true Iron Fist would do."

Danny summoned his chi in his right fist. For one moment, he stood tempted to kill Davos. However, he remembered why he showed mercy to Davos back then. He considered him a brother. The chi within his fist slowly faded away. He could not bring himself to kill him. Then, he felt a sharp pain between the middle of his back and right side. Davos sees this as well. Chen Wu stabbed Danny, causing the Iron Fist to slowly fall from the injury. Davos got up and sees Danny writhing from the pain. Then he sees Chen Wu with a prideful look on his face. That expression would soon disappear as soon as Davos looks at him with an angry look on his face.

"Why did you do that?"

"He was going to kill you, master Davos. I was trying to save you."

Davos summoned his chi into his left fist and attempted to strike Wu dead, only to be stopped by one of the Storms.

"Your servant acted in your best interests. A good master does not strike him for that. Do not forget that you serve a master as well. We need him like this."

The other two Storms got together with Davos and Wu. All five were instantly transported via the same energy that appeared earlier. Only Danny was left behind. He tried to summon whatever strength he had left in his body, but could not move. Luckily, he would be spotted by one of the Tigers who was sent by She to scout the docks to see if Danny survived. He picked him up and lifted him back to Shen.

( _end_ )

xxxxxx

Both Piotr and Kaneki were stupefied by what really went on night. Danny had a regretful look on his face when he told his student just how he failed in his responsibilities.

"So that's what happened."

"Yeah. I didn't lie when I said that I defeated the Hand. I did. But even that fight had sacrifices. I left behind the city that granted me one of the most sacred powers to protect it to die. And the friends I've made either sacrificed parts of their bodies or their whole lives in order for me to defeat the Hand. And now…one of the people nearest to my heart sold his soul in order to claim vengeance against me. It doesn't matter how good I am in a fight. All I've done is make people regret they ever met me."

Kaneki could feel what Danny was feeling right now. He had felt the same way for as long as he could remember. But he knew his Shifu was wrong when he said that the people he had met over the years regretted meeting him.

"I don't."

Danny looked at Kaneki when he said that.

"Meeting you wasn't bad for me. In fact, you've helped me become a better version of myself, if only a little bit. I could've called you by your first name at any time, but I chose to call you Shifu even outside of or lessons. I value our bond, Shifu, because I believe that you are a good man. One worth my respect and loyalty."

Piotr gave his own thoughts as well.

"From what I gather about this Davos character, he is man whose insecurities dictate his decisions. Whatever consequence befall on him is not your responsibility, Mr. Rand. Perhaps your choices had unintended consequences, yes. But wide gulf exists between maliciousness and obliviousness. If you believed that threat of Hand organization was reason enough to leave post at K'un-Lun, then it is your choice. But even then, you had to know what that meant, yes?"

Danny sighed at what following that vision from long ago really meant.

"Yes."

"Then it is done. All you can do is move forward with promise that you would not repeat mistake again. However, if you infer that mistakes from past are repeating with Kaneki, then you are wrong, Danny Rand."

Danny looked at Piotr.

"I say this because what defines a hero is not what he does every day. Five or six moments. That is what determines what makes one a hero. I see such one in you, Daniel Rand. Even now, I do not see the disaster that you make yourself out to be. Otherwise, you would not people who were there to help in your time of need. Kaneki gives you his loyalty even now, and Po Shen sees you as ally in time of darkness. You are still worthy of grace, Daniel Rand. You must forgive yourself and move forward in chosen path in life."

Taken by Piotr's words, Danny felt a wellspring of emotion inside of him. The sadness of losing his mother and father in the plane crash, the devotion of learning the ways of K'un-Lun and the lessons of Lei-Kung, the love he felt for a woman from a time ago, and the delight from the friendships he made back in his home of New York. Danny stood up from his hospital bed while seemingly unfazed by yesterday night's events.

"Thank you, Piotr. As you as well, Kaneki. I can't stay here while Davos is with Yen Lo Fei. If he's beyond saving, then he's my responsibility. But I won't be alone when fighting against Yen Lo Fei. Not anymore."

Piotr stood up from his seat.

"Then let us make haste, comrades."

As Kaneki stood up as well, all three exited the hospital room. Once they got to the lobby, both Touka and Nishiki saw them enter the lobby.

"Kaneki."

Said Touka, getting his attention. He sees her and Nishiki approaching him.

"So, he's all better then?"

Asked Nishiki.

"Yeah. Shifu explained what happened to him last night. He suffered a stab wound, but not just any wound. The weapon had some sort of poison on it that he could only use his chi to remove from his body."

"Right. That glowly thing he has in his body. You said he got from a dragon?"

Asked Touka, taking the opportunity to finally get the explanation she wanted from earlier.

"Well, he had to pass a trial by combat. After, he went inside a cave where he met a dragon and placed his hands into his soul. Him surviving the whole thing was how he passed, so that's why he can glow like that."

Both Touka and Nishiki possessed expressions on their faces that showed just how crazy it sounded. Kaneki attempted to pass it off as if it were normal when it was anything but. Touka decided to switch topics.

"So, he's gonna take care of what's going on in Ikebukuro?"

"Yeah. Piotr is going to help him resolve this issue because…"

Kaneki signaled both her and Nishiki to come close.

"This is an assignment from the doves."

Both Touka and Nishiki felt a twinge of panic when Kaneki mention the doves.

"Right now, a majority of them are focused on this…growing ghoul situation. Piotr said it, but I don't know the details. Anyhow, because of that, the doves are just ignoring it. But Piotr specifically asked for this."

Both Touka and Nishiki sighed in relief when Kaneki mentioned that only Piotr is taking on the incident in Ikebukuro.

"Anyhow, I'm joining them to help Shifu defeat Yen Lo Fei. As well as his former friend."

Nishiki expressed curiosity at the last thing Kaneki said.

"Former friend?"

"Yeah. He's with the bad guys now, and he's got a grudge against Shifu the size of the moon."

Nishiki laughed a little followed a soft whistle.

"That's a big grudge."

"You sure you want to be with him while doing this this, Kaneki?"

Asked Touka.

"I'm sure. I felt bad for not helping Shifu last night. Yeah, I was doing what he told me to do, but that doesn't take away just how horrible I felt when Yoshimura told that he was in the hospital. I don't want to feel that way again. I'm helping him."

Both Touka and Nishiki were impressed at how Kaneki wanted to step up for his teacher. Touka sighed over this.

"Fine. Just remember, we won't be there to bail you out like last time."

"Fine. I will."

"Fine by me then. I'm out of here."

Nishiki agreed with Touka.

"Likewise. True, I do owe you for what you did for me, but I won't do that."

"I understand."

As soon as both Touka and Nishiki left the hospital, Kaneki had a feeling that they were faking their disinterest.

 _They're probably gonna keep an eye on you without you knowing._

" _Well, I'm focusing on helping Shifu. That's all that matters to me. I won't stand by any longer._ "

 _For a moment, I thought you were gonna butt out like last time._

" _Last time I'll make a mistake like that._ "

 _Don't worry. It will._

As soon as he was finished with the lobby clerk, Danny approached Kaneki with a question.

"You sure about this? I won't mind if you decide to go home."

"I want to help you, Shifu. Like in Ikebukuro."

Danny sighed at how determined Kaneki was in following him to battle, so to speak.

"Fine. I know you'll follow my lead. Right?"

Kaneki answered with a subdued eagerness.

"Shi de, Shifu."

Danny then turned his attention to Piotr.

"Well, what is next move?"

"We go to Yokohama. The Crane of the Blue Pond. I have a friend who's also an information broker. He can fill us in what's been happening since last night."

All three exited the hospital, and headed for Yokohama by car. Kaneki, Danny, and Piotr were ready for whatever Yen Lo Fei had in store for them.

 **And we are done for now. I'll be working on the next chapter for a good while. I decided on two things while writing this chapter. One will be to split this chapter into two parts considering I'm adapting both the film that inspired this chapter and an entire season of Iron Fist. So, cutting the workload. Second is that after this side adventure, I will be resuming the anime storyline. I had this idea of creating a second Defenders team, but it would make the story a little convoluted in terms of world-building. Make of that what you will, but that is what I decided. If liked or dislike this chapter, comment in the review section to explain why. If you like this story, please share it with all the people you know. See you next time.**


	8. Ch 7

**To all readers who waited with bated breath, welcome to the latest chapter of Kuzuri! Already you just could wait to see how this side story will end. I could tell that you love this fan-fic due to the reviews I got for my last chapter. Give me the energy to keep on writing. Let's get to it! In this chapter, Kaneki, Danny, and Piotr are taking to the offensive against Yen Lo Fei. It won't be an easy fight as Lo Fei has demigods, a fallen son of K'un-Lun, and who knows what else on his side. Will our heroes prevail against this ancient force of evil?! Read to find out.**

Chapter 7 – Immortal

As the trio made their way to the Crane of the Blue Pond, Kaneki asked Danny about the nature of the people they would be fighting against.

"Shifu, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"Yen Lo Fei. I was looking into that name online on my phone. What I got was that he's this influential businessman who's trading empire would add to Japan's economy. I even discovered his life story online."

"Keyword: online."

Said Piotr.

"Remember Kaneki, this is internet. Some facts not really true."

"He's right. Remember, his flesh was made to fool men."

After thinking on it, he agreed with Danny.

"Yeah, he could pose as a businessman and hire people to fake his life story. But I can't seem to find where his business is exactly."

"That's why we're heading to Eddie. Piotr, take a right."

"Da."

xxxxxx

Kaneki, Danny, and Piotr finally arrive at the Crane of the Blue Pond. They enter inside to find Eddie.

"Danny!"

Eddie sees him as soon as he entered.

"Good to see you up and about."

"Likewise. What's been happening since I was down?"

"Things went from bad to worst. Practically all of the Crimson Hatchets pledged their loyalty to your old buddy from K'un-Lun."

"Davos."

"And man, that does that guy have a twisted sense of justice. There's this video that was online yesterday."

Eddie took out his smartphone and showed all three the video in question. It was of Davos approaching a small business owner.

" _Han Yip, I presume?"_

Yip looked at Davos with a small number of the Hatchets behind him.

" _Look, I'm good for the money. I just need…"_

" _I don't want your money, sir."_

Yip was confused by that statement.

" _Excuse me?"_

" _My name is Davos. I am the new leader of the Crimson Hatchets."_

" _You're in charge now?"_

" _Yes. Under my leadership, there will be substantial changes."_

"This is not going to end well."

Said Danny in a worried tone.

" _I am well aware that under previous leadership, my men here treated your staff with disrespect and cruelty. Well, that will not be an issue anymore. I will be providing protection from now on. There will be no charge."_

Yip looked at Davos with a sense of disbelief.

" _All I ask in return is you stay a good man. Seek justice. Reject corruption."_

Yip continued looking at Davos with disbelief, which made Davos a little worried.

" _Is there a problem?"_

" _N-No problem. I just…want to stay out of this."_

Davos went from concerned from perturbed.

" _You don't believe me?"_

" _No. I-I do. It's just…I don't want to take sides."_

Davos failed to contain his sense of outrage when he came to an unsupported conclusion.

" _You're with the Golden Tigers now. With Po Shen."_

" _No. No I'm-"_

Davos grabbed Yip by the neck and slammed him to the white brick wall.

" _You cling to the old ways, but under a new master. Supporting criminals instead of justice."_

Yip attempted to speak his last words while being choked as Davos summoned his chi to his fist.

" _No…I'm not with the-"_

Davos dealt a killing blow to Yip. His blood smearing the wall as his body limped to the ground when Davos released him from his grip.

" _This man was a part of the cancer rotting away at this city. WE WILL WIPE THIS WORLD CLEAN OF THE FILTH AND THE WASTE. And we will be as the falcon when we do it. Strike without hesitation or mercy!"_

The video ended there. While Kaneki was shocked to see what extremes Davos was willing to go for his version of justice, Danny felt despair to see his former friend for what he has become. Piotr only felt disgust as it reminded him of the anti-mutant sentiment he experienced from when he was a child.

"That was horrible."

"Yeah. While this was happening, Sherry Lee was bombarded by nothing but bad news about her businesses. All around, this is a disaster in the making."

Piotr then asked Danny about Davos.

"Daniel Rand, you knew Davos from past?"

"Yeah. We used to train together in K'un-Lun. His parents took me in. Sure, Lei Kung was strict, but fair. It was his mother, Priya, that had a bigger effect on Davos. She never thought highly of me. She made sure that Davos would never have any of my 'personal failings' as she would call them."

"Personal failings?"

"I always treated Davos like a brother. We even talked about that…if I were a member of the Hand, Davos would never kill me. She punished him for that. Then again, K'un-Lun was a city dedicated to one goal."

"The destruction of the Hand. Sounds like it was not good place to raise family."

Danny took a big sigh as he explained how Davos would ultimately become the man he is right now.

"When Davos was a child, he knew his destiny was great. He didn't understand why his potential was greater than everyone else's. No one would know the twisted sense of justice he would develop. Not the Yu-Ti. Not the Thunderer, his own father. It would grow without anyone knowing. Is it any wonder he has a problem with authority outside of his own?"

Everyone who was in the restaurant listened to how Danny described Davos

"When the day came that determined who would become the next Iron Fist, he fell short. That's affected him ever since. If he had access to it, the chi of Shou-Lao... could've it heal his heart, too? And if he was simply given the love he needed in the first place... but K'un-Lun was never a place for love. All it offered was fire and blood. Can you blame him for accepting this way of thinking?"

Danny felt depressed about his past in K'un-Lun. Although he was grateful to the monks who rescued him, ultimately, he felt angry in how they raised him. How they forced him to suppress his emotions in order to be a weapon. But he was human. That was the thing the monks of K'un-Lun attempted to erase. He felt a measure of anger for that, but it never evolved to hate. Kaneki assuaged Danny some of the depression he was feeling right now.

"Maybe you can't help what in the past, but you still have a life worth living. Davos is not your fault."

"I know Kaneki, but I still feel what I feel."

"Another time, Daniel Rand. We are here for information."

"Right."

Danny turned his attention to Eddie.

"Eddie, we need to find out where Yen Lo Fei is."

Kaneki joined in on the conversation.

"If he's posing as an influential businessman, he's got to have a main headquarters of some kind, but I can't seem where it is online."

"If Lo Fei is posing as an influential businessman, he can afford the privacy to do that. Luckily for you guys, I know where it is. I've been searching for it since you came back, Danny."

"You know where he is?"

"It wasn't easy. Thankfully, information brokers like myself have a sort of…intact social circle."

Kaneki was confused by those words.

"Intact social circle?"

"I've made contact with one in Tokyo. She's the owner of this bar called Helter Skelter. Named after that Beatles song."

Kaneki was more than familiar with that place.

" _He must be talking about Itori._ "

"And she is SO hot! Like she's really beautiful. Totally out of my league, but GOD-DAMN do I wanna aim for…"

"Eddie…"

Said Danny in an impatient tone.

"Sorry. Like I was saying, she helped me to find out Yen Lo Fei. What she got was that he posed himself as a reclusive billionaire that almost no one had ever laid eyes on. Most people don't know who he is, or what he looks like. But she did manage to find out where his main place of business is."

"Where is it? It is important that we know immediately."

Said Piotr. Eddie gives the location.

"The Wing Kong exchange. It's in Tokyo's 8th ward."

Both Kaneki and Danny got up from their seats. Before they left, Danny asked Kaneki a favor.

"Kaneki, could you give your phone number to both Piotr and Eddie?"

"Sure, but what for?"

"Eddie can call Po Shen for us. If something happens to us, I can buy you time to escape, and you can call Piotr to escape and Eddie to ask Po Shen to finish what we started."

Piotr agreed with Danny's reasoning, but was curious as to what Danny talked about.

"You are talking about Yen Lo Fei, yes?"

"Ending him, yes."

Piotr looked at Kaneki for a moment, seeing him possessing a determined look on his face.

"Can you handle yourself, Kaneki?"

"I managed to before, but I'll follow Shifu's commands. If he tells me to run, then I'll run."

Piotr sighed silently when Kaneki said that.

"Very well then. To Tokyo comrades."

All three left the restaurant and entered the SUV, heading for the Wing Kong exchange in Tokyo's 8th ward. As soon as they left, Eddie went to the back of the restaurant where his uncle Li and Po Shen were.

"Well, they're on their way."

"Then all we can do is wait. See what it is we are dealing with."

Said Po Shen in a foreboding tone.

xxxxxx

( _Tenement/White Tiger – Big Trouble in Little China OST_ at 0:32)

Kaneki, Danny, and Piotr eventually made it to Wing Kong Exchange in the 8th ward. They took a good look at the building as they exited the vehicle.

"Seems innocuous enough."

Said Kaneki with Danny replying,

"Looks can be deceiving."

"Da. Be on your toes, comrades."

All three entered the building. The inside was decorated in Chinese architecture and design. The front of the desk had two Chinese guards with bored expressions on their faces. Piotr then said to the two,

"Leave this part to me."

Piotr approaches the guards.

"Greetings gentlemen."

One of the guards asked him,

"Do you have an appointment?"

"I am with GCB. I am here on investigation. These two are with me. We are here to inspect this building as we have found possible connections with this company with ghouls."

One of the guards seemed unfazed with Piotr's accusation, and just grabbed the phone to contact his superiors. He spoke in Chinese for a while until he hung up and gives a response.

"Those two can investigate. You stay here."

"I cannot…"

"It's fine, Piotr."

Said Danny, seeing the opportunity to search the building. Kaneki followed him further into the building. Kaneki looked around to see anything suspicious but was also taken in by some of the artifacts decorating the halls.

"Kaneki. Down here."

Said Danny when he discovered a staircase. At the end of the stairs was a semi-dark basement. Kaneki asked Danny about the state of the mission.

"Do you think they believed we were with the GCB?"

"With the way we look, I doubt it."

"Trap?"

"Trap. Let's go further."

They walked a little while longer before Kaneki spotted a camera.

"Shifu."

Danny sees what Kaneki pointed to.

"He must be expecting us. Otherwise, we'd already be facing opposition."

Passing by numerous crates and stock shelves of white porcelain buddhas, the two found a large green door with a pad lock keeping it closed.

"I got this."

 _SNIKT!_

Kaneki slashed the pad lock in half and opened the door.

"Nice job."

The two went further inside of the building, only to find more of the same stock items they had seen before. Kaneki looked around some more, but could not find anything discerning.

"Shifu, are you having any luck finding something that sticks out? Cause I'm finding…"

Danny shushed Kaneki as he found a strange set of tracks.

"Look."

Danny pointed Kaneki to the tracks in question.

"Tracks."

"From what I can see, three people were here but one of them was being dragged."

"What could that mean?"

"Let's find out."

( _end music_ )

Kaneki and Danny see where the tracks end to find a wall. They examine the wall for a little while before Kaneki discovered something.

"I think I found something."

Kaneki pressed something to reveal a hidden elevator as the wall automatically moved to the side.

"An elevator behind a wall. Wonder what they're hiding."

Said Danny as he pressed the button opening the elevator. The two enter inside. Kaneki sees the panel for the elevator but written in Chinese.

"Shifu look. It's definitely Chinese, but I don't know. Are the letter backwards or something?"

"Not backwards. Downwards."

Danny pressed the last button down and the elevator closed as it descended. As they both waited, the elevator suddenly stopped and the windowsill closed by itself. The room was not covered in a blue light.

"Oh no."

Said Kaneki with a worried voice. Danny told him,

"By ready for anything."

Then the elevator went partially dark, but nothing happened. Kaneki started to feel irritated.

"Are they seriously playing with us?"

"Don't get so worked up. We're still alive. Look up."

Kaneki sees the light that entered the elevator to see a metal panel with holes drilled in.

"Okay. I can slice through that easy. We'll go through the hatch and up the cable."

Danny knelt down for a moment for Kaneki to sit on his shoulders. Just as Kaneki began to slice through the holey hatch, water began to fill the elevator.

"Kaneki!"

He looks down to see the water as well. Kaneki attempted to resume slicing through the hatch, but it closed on its own before he could do so.

"Aw crap!"

Kaneki got down from Danny's shoulders.

"Open up the doors! It's our only way out!"

As the room almost filled up with water, the two took a deep breath and held it as soon the room filled up with water. With his strength, Kaneki opened the elevator doors only to discover rotting corpses held upside down. He almost lost breath due to the shock, but Danny was there to stop him. He pointed up as he found a surface where they can breathe. When they reached it, Kaneki freaked out by what he saw.

"What the hell was that!?"

"Victims, more likely."

"Victims?!"

"Kaneki, calm down. We won't get anywhere by panicking."

Kaneki caught up with his breath before he apologized.

"Sorry, Shifu. We've got to be close by now."

Both looked up to see one of the Three Storms greeting them through the caged hatch.

xxxxxx

(Yokohama)

Eddie observed both his uncle and Po Shen conversing with each other about how to best defeat Po Shen. By then, he heard a knock on the restaurant door.

"I got it."

He got up and answered the door.

"I'm sorry. We're closed right…"

"Please excuse us."

Both Touka and Nishiki stood at the entrance of the Crane of the Blue Pond meeting Eddie. Eddie sees Touka carrying a box for some reason.

"We're here to see Ken Kaneki."

"Ken Kaneki, you say? How'd you know him?"

Nishiki answered his question.

"We're workmates of his. We came by to give this to him."

Touka explained further.

"We know he's a mutant. And that's he with the Iron Fist on a mission. We wanted to give him this before he set off."

Eddie determined that they seemed like decent people.

"If you're willing to wait, come on in."

Both entered inside and followed him. They eventually saw two elderly Chinese men conversing with each other. Touka asked,

"What are they doing?"

"Trying to determine what's happening with the mission."

"Mission?"

Asked Nishiki in a curious tone.

"Where your friend is right now."

Po Shen had a small cloth mat. On it were a series of bones, a small rectangular piece of paper with Chinese lettering on it, and small coins of an ancient kind.

"The horns of a goat butt his head against a hedge. The resulting consequence: they become entangled within the vines."

Both Touka and Nishiki were instantly confused by the meaning behind his words.

"Right. Introductions are in order. I'm Eddie Wong. That man is my uncle, Li Wong. Owner of this restaurant."

Li slightly bows to the two.

"And that is Po Shen, leader of the Golden Tigers and resident expert of Yen Lo Fei."

Both Touka and Nishiki decide to introduce themselves as well.

"I'm Touka Kirishima."

"Nishio Nishiki. We work together at a café in the 20th ward with Kaneki."

"We came here to give him this, but we're also concerned with this mission he's on with the Iron Fist. We'd thought you guys were helping him."

"They're with this metal man who helping them gather information on our enemy."

Said Li. Touka was worried that they were not taking this seriously.

"If you know where the enemy is, then why don't you do something about it? You said he's the leader of the Golden Tigers, right? So why…"

Po Shen stopped Touka's rant.

"We cannot, Ms. Kirishima. We have to gather our strength. Right now, there are clouds and thunder."

Li Wong cleared up what Shen meant.

"The sign of great difficulty at the beginning."

"Difficulty too great for ordinary folks like us to tackle. But the Iron Fist and his allies will clear the path for us to finally bring order to the chaos."

Curious at how Po Shen believed that everything would turn out alright, Touka puts the box she had for Kaneki on another table, and sat opposite to Po Shen. Alongside with Nishiki, who sat next to Li.

"How exactly? Is there something in there that tells you the future or something?"

"Not exactly. Sometimes the Chinese mix everything up. Look at what we have to work with. Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoist alchemy and sorcery. We take what we want and leave the rest."

"Like a salad bar."

Said Nishiki, to which made Po Shen laugh a little.

"Pretty much."

Po Shen laughed a while longer before Li Wong gave his own thoughts on the matter.

"But there is one thing that even Yen Lo Fei must acknowledge. All movement in the universe is caused by tension between positive and negative furies."

"Furies?"

Asked Touka, to which Po Shen explained.

"The emotions of higher beings. Positive furies are the emotions of the Gods while negative furies are the emotions of Demons. Some demons possess so much power that they could reshape our reality if they so desire. A lot of them don't hesitate, but they are not the only ones who are capable of such power. It would be a very long time before the emotions of the gods and the demons would eventually calm and establish the balance that we know today."

Touka began to get a clue as to what Po Shen talked about.

"So, when the furies are out of balance…"

"As they are in Yen Lo Fei, he becomes cursed."

Li Wong finished the explanation.

"He becomes a demon himself. Repulsive and evil, existing only to be a plague to the world and the people living in it."

Nishiki attempted to clear up the nature of Yen Lo Fei.

"So, this Yen Lo Fei guy, the person that both Kaneki and the Iron Fist are fighting against. He's not really a guy at all?"

Po Shen explained to Nishiki,

"Plays at being a man. A creature of darkness possessing vast, destructive power."

"And nothing could defeat him?"

"Nothing that ordinary men possess. But for the one called Daniel Rand; he is different. He had proven himself worth of possessing the lifeforce of a god."

Both Touka and Nishiki silently remembered how Kaneki explained Danny's powers to them.

( _flashback_ )

" _Right. That glowly thing he has in his body. You said that he got that from a dragon?_ "

" _Well, he had to pass this trial by combat. After, he went inside this cave where he met a dragon and placed his hand into his soul. Him surviving the whole thing was how he passed, so that's why he can glow like that._ "

( _end_ )

Touka asked for clarification.

"Lifeforce of a god…like chi?"

"Very good, Ms. Kirishima. To possess the chi of a god is to have the strength to survive a maelstrom without a scratch. One aspect of Taoism what we embrace is that of Yin and Yang."

Nishiki spoke up.

"I think I know this one. It's when two complete opposites balance one another."

"I'm legitimately surprised you actually know that."

"Don't underestimate me, Touka. Anyhow, Shen. You were saying?"

"Right. As I said, The Iron Fist embodies Yin while Yen Lo Fei represents Yang. When one side has too much power over the other, balance must reassert itself. The Iron Fist is but one of many ways to do exactly that. But not yet. We are not there yet."

Touka began to wonder if Kaneki was alright.

" _Some part of me hopes he isn't in trouble._ "

xxxxxx

Back in the lower dungeons of the Wing Kong Exchange, One of the Storms tortured both Danny and Kaneki, while Chen Wu and a Hatchet watched. Kaneki was chained to a wooden wheelchair while Danny, likewise, was chained to a wall. The Storm had iron balls and hurled them at Danny using his powers. For Kaneki, he simply punched him with the force of a wrecking ball. This went for a while until he was told to stop by a familiar voice.

"That's enough."

The Storm ceased his actions. Danny looks at the entrance to discover Davos entering.

"Davos."

"Hello again, Danny."

After a brief, but tense, stare-off, Davos then said to him,

"Wish you had killed me back then?"

"No. Even if you poisoned me, I would never kill you."

"That is your curse, Danny."

Davos then said,

"Yen Lo Fei wants to see them."

Both Wu and the Hatchet stood up. First Danny was briefly unchained, only to be re-chained once they put him on the same type of wheelchair that Kaneki sat on. Then the two had blindfolds on while being carted off to where they would meet Davos' new boss, as well as the one that the Storms pledged their loyalty to. Once they stopped, the Storm then cut their blindfolds off with a knife. Kaneki and Danny looked around the room. It was spacious with the hallway being adorned by golden buddhas and a gold gong at the end. Davos, Chen Wu, and the Hatchet then left. As the Storm walked to a nearby phone to contact his superior, Kaneki silently spoke to his Shifu.

"I don't like the looks of this, Shifu."

"Stay calm. If they wanted to kill us, they'd do it already."

"You soon will be!"

Said the Storm, overhearing the two talk. The large door automatically splits open to reveal an elderly man on an electric wheelchair. Both Kaneki and Danny were confused by the sight of him while the Storm left the room. Kaneki spoke to ask a question.

"Um…Are you…Yen Lo Fei, by any chance?"

"HUH?!"

Yelled the old man. This left Kaneki and Danny befuddled. Kaneki then asked once more.

"Yen Lo Fei?! The man who blinded me in Ikebukuro with his black magic? We came looking for him."

"Then you have succeeded, young man."

The two were utterly surprised to see this man to admit to being the big bad they were hunting for. Kaneki was quite vocal in expressing his disbelief.

"Seriously?! You're him? I don't get it. What the hell you're…"

"Shut up! You are not put upon on this world to get it."

"How can you be Yen Lo Fei? He's like…"

"Nothing you can understand. There are many mysteries and questions that have been left unanswered, even in a life as short as yours."

Danny then decided to speak.

"Well I have a few of my own. Why are you causing chaos in Japan?"

Lo Fei then turned his attention to Danny.

"The Iron Fist. Legendary defender of K'un-Lun. Sworn enemy of the Hand. At least you did one thing right."

Lo Fei began to laugh at Danny. He knew what Lo Fei laughed at him for.

"You leave K'un-Lun to die over a vision? I've heard stories of desertion over the years, but that takes the cake."

Lo Fei laughed some more before Kaneki spoke to cease his taunting laugh.

"From what I heard you want something from my Shifu!"

Lo Fei stopped laughing to speak with Kaneki.

"And what is you think your Shifu has that I want?"

"I know it was something important that you had some… albino guy after him."

"Albino?"

After a moment of thinking it over, Lo Fei remembered.

"Ah yes. Yes. Now I remember. Your shifu does have something that I needed, but never got out."

Lo Fei clapped his hands. Another door opened to reveal an albino man standing in a hypnotic daze. Both Kaneki and Danny see slowly walking to Yen Lo Fei, as if he were a zombie.

"I may not have much love for mutants, but that does not mean I dismiss their usefulness. This one possesses psychic abilities. Very useful for what I am about to do."

Lo Fei spoke a command in chinese. The albino man then walked towards Danny and slowly placed his hands on Danny's head. Danny then felt his mind becoming unraveled. Something he felt before.

"This…back in…the hospital…that was you?"

Lo Fei grinned as he saw the Iron Fist writhing as the albino peered into his mind. Kaneki could only watch as he was helpless to stop whatever was being done to his shifu. Danny attempted to resist, but proved itself futile. He then tried to summon his chi, but could not for some unknown reason. Eventually, his mind was open to the albino man. Lo Fei could see that.

"Yes, Caliban. You have opened the mind of the Iron Fist! Now give unto me the sacred knowledge of Shou-Lou!"

Danny yelled in pain as Caliban transferred what Yen Lo Fei wanted in Danny's mind. As soon as he was done, Danny slumped in exhaustion when Caliban let go of his head. Lo Fei laughed a little at first.

"I have it! The ritual that will free me from my chains!"

Lo Fei laughed some more, which made Kaneki mad.

"What the hell is your problem?!"

Lo Fei stopped laughing to give Kaneki an explanation.

"My "problem", young man, is this place. This place is my tomb. I am buried here. A young man, destined for greatness and glory, eternally bonded in an old man's crippled body. A punishment given to me by unjust gods. But now that I have their knowledge, I have the means to free myself from this cruel fate. I can be young again with the power to rule the universe. To be one with the demon that I draw my power from."

"Ch'ing-dai…"

Said Danny, slowly regaining his consciousness and strength.

"Shifu?"

"Ah. So, you know him?"

"Ch'ing-dai. The demon that Shou-Lou defeated to establish the city of K'un-Lun."

"And that, young man, is why the Iron Fist is my fated enemy. My god and his god have been going at it for centuries. But now that K'un-Lun has fallen, Ch'ing-dai will rise through me, and this world will be the first of many to become my domain!"

Kaneki was taken aback by the callousness of Yen Lo Fei. How he viewed life lesser than himself once he would gain all that he desired now he had whatever he got out his shifu.

 _Monsters like him always exist. One way or another. Acting on your anger won't help you this time kid._

" _Then what the hell should I do?_ "

 _Help always comes when you least expect it._

As soon as he was done, one the Storms informed Lo Fei of a disturbance in the front desk of the building.

"What?!"

Lo Fei wheeled himself to the nearby surveillance monitors to see the live footage of the front desk. He sees Piotr arguing with the front guards about entering the Wing Kong exchange.

"Who is this mutant? A friend of yours? Now this really pisses me off to end!"

Lo Fei wheeled himself out of the room, but not before Danny made a vow.

"One way or another, Yen Lo Fei, you never get what you want. That's a promise!"

"Never make promises you cannot keep, fallen guardian!"

As soon as he was gone, two Hatchets came to wheel both Kaneki and Danny out.

xxxxxx

(Front desk)

"I demand that you allow me entrance to the building. My partners have not called me back for hours!"

"Sir, we have our orders. You have to stay here!"

"Either you grant me entrance, or I will return with a GCB strike force to tear apart this building if I have to!"

"Excuse me."

Piotr heard a voice talking to him. He turned around to see a chinese businessman speaking to him. Little did he know that Piotr was actually speaking to one of the Three Storms.

"Russian, I presume."

"Da."

"Ya mogu pomoch' tebe" ( **I can help you.** )

The Storm guided Piotr into the building and to a nearby elevator. While inside, the Storm spoke further.

"Bud'te uvereny, eto polnoye nedorazumeniye." ( **Rest assured, this is a complete misunderstanding.** )

"Ya ne somnevayus'. Nesmotrya ni na chto, ya khochu videt' ..." ( **I have no doubt. Regardless, I wish to see for…** )

Before Piotr could finish his sentence, gas filled the elevator. Piotr slowly became unconscious. When he fell, his metal skin now became flesh due to losing conscious control of his mutation. When the elevator stopped and opened its doors, a row of Hatchets awaited to pick up the extra ally of the Iron Fist. The Storm was unaffected by the gas, and ordered the Hatchets to place him in one of the jailcells within the lower dungeons.

xxxxxx

Meanwhile, Kaneki and Danny were being carted off to another room with their blindfolds on. They eventually stopped but did not know where. After a moment of silence, Danny asked Kaneki,

"Kaneki, how tight did they tie you?"

"Not that much. My arms aren't getting any traction, but my legs feel a little lose."

"During our first training session, I noticed that you had incredible lower body strength."

Kaneki had an idea of what his shifu was saying.

"Got it."

Kaneki used his lower body strength to break the binds on his legs. The more he wiggled, the more he got loose. However, that level of movement slowly caused his wheelchair to topple over to its right side. Kaneki grunted in response.

"Kaneki, you all right?"

"Yeah Shifu. Little accident. But my legs are finally free. And my blindfold is almost off. Give me a moment…"

Kaneki rubbed his face against the floor in order to get his blindfold halfway off. He now had one eye uncovered.

"I can see. At least halfway."

"What do you see?"

"We're in a metal room. No windows. Light is coming from the floor. And there are skeletons hung around us."

"Can you move?"

"One moment…"

Kaneki felt his legs becoming lose until the rope binding his legs to the chair finally became undone.

"I can walk."

"Great. What about your arms?"

"Still kind of tight. But I can see what you're bonded with, Shifu. I'll walk close to you."

"You can still use your claws? How?"

"Very awkwardly."

With the wheelchair still on his back, Kaneki walked slowly to Danny. Then, he carefully got close to him.

 _SNIKT!_

Very slowly, he slid one of his claws in between the rope and the skin.

"Shifu, do you feel any pain?"

"No."

"Good."

Kaneki made small body movements as to not let the wheelchair still attached to his arms hit Danny in any way. Eventually, the rope was cut and Danny's right arm was free.

"Great job."

"Can you summon your chi, Shifu?"

"One moment."

First, Danny undid the blindfold tied to his head. Then, he summoned his chi into his free hand, allowing him to free Kaneki from the wheelchair as well as himself.

"A little messy, but nice job."

"One problem down, 99 more to go."

"You got that right."

The two inspected the room to look for any opening as a means of escape.

"Walls have to be two, three inches thick. Welded shut most likely."

"Don't despair, Kaneki. We'll get out."

"I'm not. I'm just…"

"Just what?"

"Worried. About what Yen Lo Fei said."

Danny felt a little nervous as to what Kaneki implied.

"What was it he said that's got you worried?"

"How can he gain the power to conquer the universe? Are there demons with that much power to help conquer something that's always expanding? The way I see it, he does have some power that I can't explain. Being both that crotchety old man and the monster who took away my eyesight. But not enough to take over something of that magnitude."

Danny, silently sighing in relief, answered Kaneki's question.

"You remember when I said that Shou-Lou did battle with Ch'ing-dai to create the city of K'un-Lun?"

"Yeah. Back there."

Danny sat down on the ground with Kaneki doing the same.

"It all goes back to the early days of China. K'un-Lun was not only the name of the city that Shou-Lou created, it's also a mountain area north of Tibet. The mountains were once home to Ch'ing-dai and his army horde of demons. They used to terrorize the humans of ancient China by raiding their communities and even kill some of the people they looked down upon. The humans despised them for it, but were powerless to do anything about it. It would take strength beyond what humans were capable of to defeat them. And so, the first sovereign emperor of China prayed to the gods to give them the power to drive Ch'ing-dai to whatever hell he deserved. They answered his prayers by sending one of their own to our world."

"Shou-Lou."

"With his power, the emperor defeated the demon armies of Ch'ing-dai, and sentenced him to the deepest parts of the underworld. As well as any humans who allied themselves with Ch'ing-dai."

"Yen Lo Fei."

"Not yet. The power that defeated Ch'ing-dai eventually made the emperor go mad. Shou-Lou sensed this and hid within the Kunlun Mountains, fearing that his influence would drive the humans he saved from Ch'ing-dai to destroy themselves. However, a servant of Ch'ing-dai waited for Shou-Lou within the Kunlun Mountains. Yen Lo Fei sold his soul to him, and used the power of Ch'ing-dai to defeat Shou-Lou."

"But…that should be impossible."

"A human with the power of a demon should never be underestimated, Kaneki. That was Shou-Lou's mistake. But Yen Lo Fei made one of his own. He felt contented to let Shou-Lou to slowly die in regret. It was then that that a monk found Shou-Lou and almost sacrificed his life trying to save him. Because of that monk, Shou-Lou found there was something worth saving in humanity. He told the monk to dive his hands into his soul. That monk became the first Iron Fist. Shou-Lou also gave him the sacred knowledge to seal Yen Lo Fei from the world. The ritual that would be the basis of the curse that Yen Lo Fei suffers even today."

"Until he had Caliban forced himself into your mind."

"Yes…"

Kaneki switched topics as he could see that Danny felt responsible for something out of his control.

"It all sounds so unbelievable. I mean, if this was anything like what happened in New York seven years ago, then I'd have an easier time believing in it. But this is different."

"I don't blame you. Some people would take this information to heart and devote to a life that allows them to be ready when the time came. Others would try to dismiss these stories as myths out of some subconscious fear. But it's all real, Kaneki. Monsters and Magic. Gods and Demons. The blessings and curses that they bestow. They all happened. Once upon a time."

Both hear footsteps approaching the metal door shut behind them. Kaneki and Danny quickly sat back to their wheelchairs. Danny whispered,

"Blindfolds."

As soon as they put them back on, Kaneki and Danny waited for the opportunity to throttle their captors. The people entering inside were a couple of Hatchets checking in on them. They noticed that their bindings were cut loose. Danny yelled,

"Now!"

Kaneki and Danny rushed to defend themselves. The Hatchets fought back, but were eventually defeat due to Danny's expert technique and Kaneki's utilizing strength. The two Hatchets laid on the floor unconscious.

"Let's get out of here."

Both get out the metal room and look around the intersecting hallway.

"Let's go that way."

Kaneki followed Danny as they went right until they saw a storage room at the end with the indication of elevator being there as well. Danny stopped with Kaneki following his lead. He peeked around the corner to see if there were any guards posted.

"Looks clear…"

As Danny walked forward, one of the Hatchets had the drop on him and tackled him to the ground.

"Shifu!"

Kaneki ran forward to help him, but was intercepted by two more Hatchets attempting to capture him again. The two fought off the guards, but one more Hatchet appeared with a shotgun in hand.

"Shifu! Behind you!"

Danny performed a series of backflips until he did one that allowed him to jump behind the shotgun Hatchet and knocked him out cold.

"Woah!"

"Badass, right?"

(play _Escape from the Wing Kong – Big Trouble in Little China OST_ )

Both went for the elevator.

"Up or down, shifu?"

"Let's go for up."

They rode the elevator up until it stopped. Kaneki and Danny then see a series of jailcells in front of them guarded by more Hatchets when they manually slid the doors up.

"Shifu, are they…"

"Yen Lo Fei engaging in human trafficking. I'm honestly not surprised."

One the Hatchets sees the two and yells out in alarm.

"They know we're here."

"Be ready for anything."

( _skip to 1:07_ )

One of the Hatchets within the guard post pushed a button. This made an alarm blare across the entire floor. Danny could hear numerous feet running to where he is.

"Kaneki, free the prisoners! I'll handle things here."

"Shi de."

Kaneki went towards the jailcells, where he would meet with the Hatchets preventing him from entering. He made short work of them and entered the cell room. The women see him trying to find how to free them. One of them pointed to a lever panel that controlled the locks on their cells. Although it was simple, the pad locks prevented Kaneki from freeing them. Luckily, that would not be a problem for him.

 _SNIKT!_

He sliced the locks and pulled the lever, releasing all the girls trapped inside. Kaneki saw that he would have to do it three more times. On the second time, he sees a large, familiar-looking man. He sees the suit and recognizes it to be Piotr.

"Piotr? Piotr!"

One of the women explained to Kaneki,

"He was knocked out when he got here."

"I'll get you out soon."

Kaneki sliced the locks and freed the women. Before he went for the last two levers, Kaneki first attempted to awaken Piotr.

"Piotr, wake up! WAKE UP!"

 _Let me handle this._

Wolverine took over for him, and woke Piotr in his own fashion.

"GET YOUR GODDAMN METAL ASS UP, COLOSSUS!"

Wolverine punched Piotr in the face as hard as he could. The attempt proven itself successful as Piotr finally woke up.

"Kaneki? Where am I?"

"Some sort of jail. Me and Shifu discovered that Yen Lo Fei engages in human trafficking."

A young girl spoke up in support of Kaneki's claim.

"It's true. I was walking home from school three days ago until I was captured and forced to be here. Please! I just want to go home."

Piotr stood up and turned his flesh into metal.

"You will get home. This I promise. Kaneki, how do you get them out?"

"I'll show you."

Kaneki guided Piotr to the levers that locked the remaining women.

"I will get them out. Look for an exit."

"Right."

As Kaneki searched for an exit, Piotr freed the remaining prisoners. By then, Kaneki found a way out.

"Piotr, I found an exit."

Piotr hears this and points to the prisoners the direction of Kaneki's voice. They follow it and Piotr as well. He asks him about Danny.

"Where is Daniel Rand?"

"There's a group of Crimson Hatchets coming to stop us. Shifu stayed behind to fight them while I freed the prisoners."

"I will join him. Look for any stragglers."

"Got it."

As Piotr went to help Danny, Kaneki asked one the few prisoners who were still near the cells,

"Is there anyone left?"

"There's this albino man. He's unconscious."

"Go with the rest. I'll join you."

( _end music_ )

As she did, Kaneki checked the cells to look for the albino man called Caliban. He finds him slowly getting up.

"Easy."

As Caliban opened his eyes, he sees Kaneki.

"Who are you?"

Asked Caliban in an english voice.

"I'm Ken Kaneki. I'm here with two others to get you and the rest of the prisoners out of here."

"I'm…a prisoner?"

"You don't remember how you got here?"

"No. I remember that I was running a few personal errands before heading for my home in the 11th ward. Now, I find myself here. How did I get here?"

"I'm sure we can figure it out later. But right now, we got to get out of here. It's not safe here."

As the two got out of the cell, Kaneki yelled for Danny.

"SHIFU! EVERYONE'S OUT!"

He soon appeared alongside Piotr.

"Then let's get out of here!"

"Are there more?"

"Da, but we have achieved…"

Piotr sees Caliban and was surprised to see him. Caliban felt the same.

"I remember you."

"Likewise. But we must escape. More enemies are arriving."

"No time to waste then."

Said Kaneki as he guided them to the exit he found. More Hatchets would arrive heavily armed alongside with one of the Storms. He yelled an order in chinese to capture or kill the prisoners. They eventually find the exit, only to find it locked. The Storm ordered his men to clear themselves as he used his godly strength to pry open the metal door. While Kaneki, Danny, Piotr and the rest of the prisoners find a pool connecting to an open pipeline.

"No choice. We swim for it."

Said Piotr. While the prisoners dived in and swam for the open pipe, Danny gave Kaneki an order.

"Kaneki, before you dive, call Eddie on your phone. Give it to me after it's ringing."

Kaneki did what Danny told him to do.

"Piotr."

"Da?"

"Guard the entrance. Hold the fort as long as you can."

"Very well."

As Piotr readied himself for incoming opposition, Kaneki's call to Eddie connected.

"It's ringing."

Kaneki handed his phone to Danny.

"Eddie, it's me. Call Po Shen. Tell him to send as many cars as he can to the Wing Kong Exchange…wait…he did…good to know."

Curious by this, Kaneki asked,

"What is it?"

"Po Shen knew that we would need additional transportation."

"How?"

"One more thing we'll talk about we get out."

Then, gunshots were heard as bullets ricocheted of Piotr's metal skin.

"PIOTR! WE'RE OUT OF HERE!"

"Acknowledged!"

Piotr opened his arms and gave his personal spin on the Hulk's thunderclap technique. This made a few of the Hatchets fall over, affecting more in the process. Piotr then dived into the water before turning this metal skin into flesh. Kaneki and Danny were the last ones to dive in. By then, the Hatchets shot their guns at the water, but no blood emerged. Everyone had already swum to where the open pipe ended.

"Anyone know where we are?"

Asked Kaneki to which Piotr guessed,

"Central sewer, perhaps?"

Danny supported Piotr's guess.

"Maybe. Look."

Danny pointed up to reveal a manhole cover.

"Water comes through here. Seawater from the bay fills the room. Possibly diverts it to different chambers."

"That would explain that elevator we were in earlier."

Said Kaneki, agreeing with Danny's guess. Caliban chimed in.

"That's all well and good, but how do we get out of here?"

Danny sees a metal ladder leading up to the manhole. He climbs up to see where it led. He soon discovered that it led to the room that he and Kaneki were in earlier. He speaks into the hole to inform everyone,

"We're clear!"

Everyone got up the ladder and through the manhole one by one. Danny goes on ahead to see if there were any other Hatchets waiting for them. While the rest of the group stop where Danny was.

"Okay. There's another series of hallways ahead of us. From here on in, we stay together. I'm going to open this door a little to see if there's no more opposition."

Danny did so, revealing that the room ahead was quiet at first, but soon heard yelling. He then sees one of the Hatchets and the reverse happened as well. He quickly closed the door.

"Shifu, something's the matter?"

"We're gonna be trapped."

(play _Hide – same OST_ )

The group soon heard more yelling even with the door in front of them closed.

"Everyone, hide! Kaneki, Piotr, you too."

"Us hide?"

Asked Piotr.

"They only saw me."

"No way, Shifu. This is do or die for us as well."

"I agree with Kaneki."

( _skip to 0:26_ )

All three readied themselves for the fight ahead. The Hatchets axed the door apart and ran towards the three. Although they outnumbered them, Kaneki, Danny, and Piotr were more than capable of defeating low-level grunts armed with only rudimentary weapons. Danny broke the Hatchets weapons with his chi, Kaneki with his claws, and Piotr simply breaking them apart with his hands and body. All while knocking them out with their respective strength. Once they were defeated, Danny yelled out,

"Let's move!"

The prisoners did what Danny said, and proceeded to follow him to the entrance that led to the front desk.

( _skip to 1:34_ )

"Kaneki, me and Piotr will run interference. You bring up the rear. We're still not out of the woods yet."

"Got it."

Danny and Piotr were the first ones to the front desk. The guards brought out their guns to hold them hostage, but Piotr grabbed them from their hands and crushed them.

"Kaneki!"

Said Danny, signaling him to bring out the hostages through the front desk entrance. When they all got out, they found at least seven cars waiting for them, alongside at least 10 armed Golden Tigers. The prisoners were afraid at first, but Kaneki assuaged them.

"It's okay. They with us. They're here to get you out of here."

Some of the Tigers were gentle with the prisoners, easing them to trusting them. However, urgency would prompt the prisoners to enter the cars due to a dozen of heavily armed security guards exiting the building with shotguns and AKs. The Tigers shot back, taking down a few of the guards. Once everyone was inside the cars, they sped away from the Wing Kong exchange and soon out of Tokyo.

( _end music_ )

xxxxxx

(Wing Kong Exchange)

Lo Fei was on the phone with the head of internal security, receiving a report on the escaped prisoners.

"Double security! They must not enter again!"

He hung up the phone. Davos entered the room and gave a report to Lo Fei.

"All preparations are complete, master."

"Is it ready, Davos?"

"Yes, it is. We're simply waiting for you."

"Then there is no time to waste."

Lo Fei began to glow until he was no longer an old man in an electric wheelchair, but the same individual that blinded Kaneki with his magic. Davos followed behind him to the ceremony room where Kaneki and Danny where held before. The Storms waited on one end while Lo Fei waited on the other end, sitting on a comfy throne chair.

"Davos."

Lo Fei pointed to Davos to stand with the Three Storms behind him. He complied. Everything was complete for the ritual that would allow Yen Lo Fei to not just break his curse, but also summon Ch'ing-dai into earth. Lo Fei yelled a command in chinese. Davos then performed a series of martial arts moves as part of the ritual. While doing so, the natural energies of the Storms began to flow through Davos as they transferred them to him. Combined with the chi that he drew from Lo Fei, the lights within the room began to flicker. A bright black circle manifested itself in front of Yen Lo Fei. By the time the ritual neared its end, a golden statue slowly rose from the circle. It was shaped in the form of a Qilin, the chinese equivalent of a unicorn.

"It is done."

Said Davos, physically exhausted from the ritual.

"We are halfway done. But soon, Ch'ing-dai will conquer this world and many others. And I will be free from this curse that Shou-Lou has placed upon me."

As the Storms carried the statue of Ch'ing-dai to another location within the building, Davos spoke with Yen Lo Fei.

"Master?"

"Yes?"

"I am aware of your encounter with the first Iron Fist that took place centuries ago."

"Having regrets, Davos?"

"No, my master. But rather a question came to my mind."

"What is it?"

"Did the first Iron Fist summoned the flames that placed the curse upon you? I know that because we learned it back in K'un-Lun when I was a boy."

"You need not worry about Daniel Rand. He cannot summon them. Victory is inevitable."

"Very well, my master. Forgive my moment of doubt."

xxxxxx

(Yokohama)

Everyone from the Wing Kong exchange just arrived in front of the Crane of the Blue Pond. Both Touka and Nishiki see the cars park near the restaurant.

"They're here."

Said Touka as she saw not just Kaneki, but also Danny, Piotr, and a more than a dozen people with them. Minus the Tigers driving the cars. Everyone entered the restaurant in droves. Li Wong gets ready to prepare food for all of them while Touka and Nishiki guided the prisoners to any empty table to sit at. Once they were all inside, the last ones to enter the restaurant were the three and the Tigers who came to pick them up.

"Kaneki."

He heard Nishiki speak his name. Kaneki sees both him and Touka.

"Nishiki. Touka."

He said with a confused tone.

"What are you doing here?"

"We came here to give you this. Uta finished this and had it sent to Anteiku."

Touka handed the box she had with her to Kaneki.

"At first, but when we talked to this guy named Po Shen, we had a feeling that you were involved in something big."

Kaneki could not lie to Touka and Nishiki.

" _Well, you were half right._ "

 _Yeah. Just tell them the truth. Can't go wrong._

Kaneki sighed and explained what he had experienced in the Wing Kong exchange building. The explanation took a little over five minutes, and when Kaneki was done the two were shocked to hear what he described what went on last night.

"Woah."

Said Nishiki in disbelief.

"Yeah. That's what's happening right now. I'm going back with Shifu to end this. There's too much on the line if I sit back."

Touka and Nishiki looked at each other and nodded.

"We're going with you."

Kaneki was surprised to hear Touka say that.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Ordinarily you'd be right, but this is big. Besides…"

Nishiki gave a signal to Kaneki that he wanted to whisper in his ear. He picked up on the signal and walked a little closer to Nishiki.

"We won't use our Kagunes during the battle. We can control it."

Touka whispered as well.

"We have strength of our own. Not like Danny's or Piotr's, but we can still kick some serious ass all the same."

Not wanting to seem ungrateful for the offer, Kaneki offered a compromise.

"I'll ask Shifu to see if he can allow you guys to help. I'm sure he'll be reasonable if I tell him about you controlling your Kagunes. It's Piotr that you guys will have to talk to."

"Got it."

Said Touka and Nishiki simultaneously. While Touka and Nishiki went to talk to Piotr, Kaneki went to talk to Danny. He waited for him to finish his talk with Po Shen before he could speak with him. He decided to take the time to open the box that Touka gave him. He soon found out the contents inside the box. It was a black mask similar to what the Wolverine wore while was in the X-Men. Also, in the box were a black hoodie with a red stripe on the arms and a note signed by Uta.

" _ **When you showed me your claws, I instantly knew that I had to make this. Don't worry. This can survive anything you put it through. It's made with the specifications you asked of me. It works. I guarantee it. I also added this hoodie as a treat. You can find replacements online.**_ "

While Kaneki put on his new hoodie, Touka and Nishiki spoke with Piotr.

"Piotr."

"Ah. Ms. Kirishima. Did not realize you were here. I assume for Kaneki, yes?"

"At first. But when we talked to him about what went on, me and Nishiki came to a decision."

Piotr had a suspicion as to what Touka referred to.

"You wish to join us in defeating Yen Lo Fei?"

"I know Kaneki has his sensei to help him, but this is still big. We just want to help him."

"I appreciate your concern for your friend and your willingness to help, but I cannot allow you two to join. I made promise to Yoshimura that I would not expose Anteiku to the world. Allowing you two to help may jeopardize that."

Both Touka and Nishiki felt frustrated by Piotr's refusal. Touka wanted to speak up, but Piotr pre-empted her by speaking about the aftermath of the Tsukiyama incident.

"I know about your recent changes."

Both were shocked to hear Piotr know about how they cannot eat human flesh anymore.

"I personally find it wonderful that there is a way for ghouls to finally properly integrate with humanity. It is why I support Yoshimura. All the more reason why I cannot let you two join. This is first ray of hope for co-existence. I cannot, in good conscious, expose it to danger. I am sorry, but no."

Piotr stood up and walked to Danny. Although Nishiki took the argument in stride, Touka was fuming with inadequacy as she began to feel useless. Nishiki tries to talk her out doing something stupid.

"Look, I don't like it too Touka. But what can we do?"

Touka silently seethes while Po Shen spoke to the Tigers.

"Let's get moving. Our enemy is close to gaining the power he needs to make our lives a living hell. Contact whoever is left. Tell them to gather at my workshop. We move out…"

One of the Tigers notifies Shen of additional cars parked in front of the restaurant.

"Sir, we got company."

The Tigers, alongside Kaneki, Danny, Piotr, Shen, and Touka see the cars park. Who came out of it were Crimson Hatchets.

"Hatchets!"

Said Touka, causing the Tigers to be on their guard while the prisoners to panic. Shen ceases everyone's worry.

"Wait! These are not the Hatchets aligned with Lo Fei. They are with Sherry Lee."

The Hatchets enter the restaurant. Once inside, they could feel the aura of hostility from nearly everybody inside. Po Shen asked their leader,

"Sherry sent you?"

"Yes, she did. She wanted to express her gratitude for getting back her husband's businesses."

"She could've called."

"She wanted to go beyond for this one. She knows about Yen Lo Fei as the perpetrator of both her husband's assassination and the incident at the docks. She wishes to extend a helping hand."

"And that's why all of you are here?"

"Correct. Sherry Lee has offered 20 of her finest men to aid you in defeating Yen Lo Fei. We offer you our lives for this fight."

All the Hatchets bowed down to Po Shen. While everyone felt dumbfounded by them keeling to Shen, he felt mildly embarrassed.

"Get up."

The Hatchets loyal to Sherry followed his command.

"Where we are going, we're going to face dangers that will shake you to your core. Will you still follow me into battle?"

"Yes, Po Shen."

After a brief pause, Po Shen gave the order.

"They're coming with us. Move!"

Everyone that was committed exited the restaurant and followed Po Shen. Although it was raining out, both the Tigers and the loyal Hatchets braved the elements to battle Yen Lo Fei. Kaneki was the last to exit. He looked at Touka and Nishiki and said,

"I'm definitely coming back. I have Shifu to watch out for me. Not to mention I can take care of myself. Thanks for the gift, though."

Both realized that Kaneki was wearing a different color hoodie. As he exited, both Touka and Nishiki were approached by Eddie.

"If you guys really want to help, how about getting some information from them?"

Eddie points to the people who were once prisoners of the Wing Kong exchange.

"That Piotr guy asked us to get their information. He's already called some friends he knows in the police to get them home, but first they got to know where they live exactly."

Both Touka and Nishiki nodded in agreement.

"Okay. We'll gladly help."

xxxxxx

All the fighters that volunteered followed Po Shen to a workshop he had a few blocks away from the restaurant. Once they arrived, they found more Tigers waiting there.

"This everyone?"

One of the Tigers nodded yes.

"Open the damn door."

One of the Tigers opened the door to Shen's workshop and everyone entered inside. It was an industrial garage that was spacious enough to house at least three SUVs. Shen only had one parked inside. The workshop was filled with either handheld weapons; like swords, spears, knifes, or jars full of items that almost one could identify. Especially Kaneki. He looks for Danny to ask why were they here.

"Shifu, I thought we were gonna go in the cars to get back to Tokyo."

"First, young man, we arm ourselves with what we need for the fight. I've already sent for the cars to take us to the ports. From there, we use boats to get us to where we need. Lo Fei is no fool. He'll already have more men guarding the front entrance."

"So, we go the back way?"

"Exactly. Black's a good look for you by the way. Nice design."

Kaneki felt slightly embarrassed by Po Shen complementing his black hoodie. Danny noticed this as well while Shen went to the back of his workshop.

"Where'd you get it?"

"Both Touka and Nishiki gave it to me. I ordered it through a…special shop. By the way Shifu, do you know what's in all these jars?"

Danny looks around the workshop and gave an answer.

"Po Shen is actually a practitioner of magic."

"No way."

"No really. To the average eye, this is strange junk. But for a mage of the eastern art of magic, this is valuable material. Po Shen comes from a long line of Chinese mages."

"Did Shou-Lou give knowledge of magic to the humans of early China?"

"More or less."

When Shen came back, he was dressed in black chinese robes. He yells something in chinese, to which one of his men responded. He then asks Kaneki, Danny, and Piotr,

"All set?"

Danny responded,

"Just waiting for our ride, Shen."

"They're here. Let's get moving."

Shen gives another command in chinese, and all the fighters went outside to see the cars they parked earlier in front of the work shop. They all entered inside the cars and rode back to the ports in Yokohama. Although the ports were still in the process of reconstruction, Shen pulled some favor from Sherry Lee while he helped her get back her husband's business assets. They finally arrived at the ports to see at least four yachts waiting for them. The cars stopped s soon as they were running out of land to drive on. Kaneki sees the yachts and was amazed by Shen's resourcefulness.

"Woah. You own them?"

"Nah. Just rent. Not much of a seafarer."

"Is there an entrance large enough for them?"

Piotr answered,

"Not really. I imagine we exit the boats that dock far from Wing Kong exchange, but near where pipe meets Wing Kong?"

"You hit nail right on head. Sherry also got me blueprints for Tokyo's sewage pipes. The one we are heading leads directly under Wing Kong exchange."

The yachts set sail as soon as all the fighters all boarded. From there, it was a half hour boat ride from the Yokohama docks to the docks in the 8th ward. They went exactly as Shen planned it to be and docked far from the Wing Kong exchange. When they reached the dock, Shen led all the fighters to a special manhole that two of the Tigers lifted. The sewer entrance had an iron step ladder that led to the portside sewer interior. It took some time, but everyone was now underneath the 8th ward ports.

(play _Spirit Path – Same OST_ )

Po Shen led the way to the Wing Kong underground. Kaneki, Danny, and Piotr were at the front of the line of fighters following Po Shen. While they traversed the underground, Kaneki saw the flow of some strange liquid that streamed underneath everyone as they walked across a small bridge.

"Okay, that is not water."

"Black blood of the earth."

"Don't you mean oil?"

"No. This blood belongs to demons. Hundreds of years ago, demons rampaged the earth and fought with each other. Their blood seeped into the earth, resulting in what you see here. They continued to do so while humanity tried to build their civilizations. Many of them were killed. Those who survived were turned into something unnatural, cursed by what the demons left behind. Many chinese believe that was how ghouls came to be. When they became cursed, they committed many offenses against the gods. That was one of many reasons the gods sent some of their own to our world."

The fighters continued their trek across the underground until the path became smaller to the point that they had to crawl their way forward. Po Shen signaled everyone to stop. Kaneki asked,

"Why are we stopping?"

"We are here."

"I'll scout ahead, just to be sure."

Said Danny, volunteering to check to see if they were truly at the Wing Kong exchange. Shen nodded in approval. Both He and Kaneki moved to the sides for Danny to look ahead. Once he slid down the entrance, Danny looked around the room he was in. It was a storage room with a big pile of fish beneath where he entered. He later sees a door and walked towards it. Then he opened it a little and saw a hallway. He closes the door, and gives everyone the go-ahead.

"We're clear."

With Kaneki following everyone after they all came through; he goes through the opening to dive into some fish.

"Shifu, are we here?"

"Yeah. We're in one of the storerooms within the Wing Kong exchange. We're inside Yen Lo Fei's domain."

Kaneki was slightly creeped out by the rat walking over the pile of fish. One of the Tigers took a bite of one and offered Kaneki one as well.

"Thank you, but I already ate."

Shen addressed the fighters one more time.

"We're close. Real close. This is destiny in the making. I can feel it in my bones."

Kaneki felt confused when Shen said the word destiny.

"Destiny?"

Piotr felt the same as well.

"What do you mean by destiny?"

"2,258 years, the first sovereign emperor of china, Qin Shi Huang, used the power of Shou-Lou to send Ch'ing-dai to the hell of rampaging dragons. While the first Iron Fist bonded Yen Lo Fei to that same hell, resulting in the curse that made him of no flesh. Making him a nightmare to mankind."

"Shifu told me that already."

"For me, this is first I have heard of it."

Said Piotr. Shen muttered in chinese before continuing the tale.

"Let me finish. In order for Yen Lo Fei to become flesh again, he would have to summon his master, Ch'ing-dai, into the world. First as a golden statue so that Ch'ing-dai could enter our world. Then he would have to break the statue to release the soul of Ch'ing-dai, and have it bond with the spiritual illusion that Yen Lo Fei produces to fool lesser men."

This filled Danny with dread.

"Do you think he's summoned Ch'ing-dai into the world already?"

"I am sure of it, but he has not bonded with his soul yet. The thing we need to exterminate them both is not just the Iron Fist, but what the Iron Fist has that no other warrior possesses."

"What is it?"

Asked Kaneki.

"The flames of Shou-Lou."

Danny remembered when Lei-Kung, Davos' father, told him about the ultimate technique of the Iron Fist.

 _flashback_

"The greatest power of the Iron Fist is summoning the fire that rains destruction from the sky, will make you equal in power to beings of a demonic nature, and can even seal away evil spirits. The Flames of Shou-Lou. When you have mastered chi, using the power given to you by Shou-Lou is no different than using your own power. The only difference is the magnitude of power. Once you have mastered the flames, you will have become a true Iron Fist."

 _end_

Shen asked Danny,

"Can you summon the flames?"

"We'll know when we get there."

"You must. My greatest desire is to defeat Yen Lo Fei. My family dedicated themselves to the slaying of demonic spirits in service of China herself. But the only failure we honestly claim to is the sealing of Ch'ing-dai. Yen Lo Fei was an apprentice of my oldest ancestor. He betrayed him to be a flunky of Ch'ing-dai. As much as I want to defeat Lo Fei; to undo the dishonor he dealt to my ancestors, my family, I cannot. I am just a man whose time is almost up. Not today, but someday. Only the dream of a god can defeat the nightmare of a demon."

One of the Tigers spoke in chinese, alerting the others. Danny translated for Kaneki and Piotr.

"Hatchets loyal to Lo Fei are outside."

Shen and some of the Tigers peeked through the door, seeing some Hatchets marching from place to place with weapons in hand. The first ones out were Shen, Danny and Kaneki. They saw the Hatchets marching away, and no one else came marching. Piotr peeked through the door, to find Danny giving him the signal that it was safe to come out. Piotr gave the same signal to the fighters and they all came out of the storeroom. As they made their way to where the ceremony was taking place, Kaneki saw a floating head. This freaked him out as he yelled in shock and horror.

( _end music_ )

"Kaneki, what…"

Danny sees what his student pointed to, and stood between him and the floating head. It was light brown, possessing multiple eyes throughout its being. Some of the eyes were even mini-tentacles. While the fights took defensive positions, Po Shen stood without fear in front of the creature.

"I am the past come back to haunt you, Yen Lo Fei!"

Shen spoke some more in chinese while Kaneki was still freaked out by what he was seeing.

"Jesus Christ, what the hell am I seeing?!"

Danny explained what the creature was.

"Calm down, Kaneki. It's a guardian. What it sees, Lo Fei knows. He links to it with his powers."

The creature opened its mouth to reveal another eye.

"I'm seriously gonna have nightmares."

Said Kaneki, still reeling in the existence of the creature in front of him. The floating head then broadcasted Yen Lo Fei's voice.

"So, you have returned, Iron Fist. And you are not alone. You have brought you Po Shen. Yes…I recognize your blood. You are the descendent of the fool I left behind to serve my master Ch'ing-dai. Is this what you place your hopes on, failure of a guardian?! A bastard sorcerer, lowly mutants, and weak-willed men? Oh, I can smell the desperation on you, Iron Fist. You are too late! I have brought my master to this world and I will free his soul soon!"

 _SNIKT!_

Kaneki sped his way to the floating head and attempted to slice it apart. Unfortunately, the floating head was too nimble for him to lay a scratch on. Danny did not like how rash he acted.

"Kaneki, what are you doing?!"

Kaneki stopped fighting the head as it floated away from everyone while retracting his claws. He then gave chase with everyone else eventually following. At first, Danny could not figure out why he would try to kill the creature.

"I knew it freaked him out, but…"

"That creature is leading us to where the ritual is taking place. Your student must've figured that part out."

Danny came to Shen's conclusion as well, and decided to trust Kaneki's judgement. Soon, Kaneki saw where the head would soon take him. He grabbed it, struggled to contain the creature as he walked backwards, and slammed it to the floor, rendering it unconscious. By then, everyone finally caught up to him.

"Kaneki."

Said Piotr, catching his attention.

"Is this place?"

"Look."

He said while pointing to where the ritual was taking place.

(play _The great arcade [mini rock opera] – same OST_ )

Shen, Piotr, Danny, and the rest of the fighters all saw the ritual. The room was large, adorned with neon lights as the ritual took place in front of a stone dragon statue, also adorned in neon lights. They see the Hatchets loyal to Yen Lo Fei standing before a golden statue of a Qilin. They see the Three Storms standing alongside Davos. They see Yen Lo Fei giving a speech commemorating his eventual rise to godhood.

"Oh Ch'ing-dai, greater than heaven, bind yourself with your most faithful servant and create a world that will endlessly praise your glory."

Davos stepped forward in front of the statue of Ch'ing-dai.

"Davos, last true son of K'un-Lun, channel my chi and release my master!"

Davos summoned said chi as his fists glowed. The Hatchets cheered for Davos as began to punch the golden statue. With each strike, the statue cracked. Dark energies glowed through the cracks as Davos continued his work. The Hatchets continued to cheer while The Storms, Lo Fei, and even Chen Wu, looked on with excitement.

"We have to stop this."

Said Piotr as he stepped forward, but Shen stopped him in his tracks.

"No. Yen Lo Fei must bond with Ch'ing-dai."

"Weren't we here to stop that?"

"No. Yen Lo Fei must become flesh, so that way he can be killed and the nightmare can end for good."

"How?"

Po Shen looked at Danny as he placed his cloth mask on his face.

"Moment of truth. Can you summon the flames?"

After a brief sigh, Danny gave an honest answer.

"Yes. But not without difficulty."

A loud crack was then heard as the golden statue was finally broken to pieces. What was left was a ball of darkness floating in place. All fell silent over seeing such a sight. Even the three Storms looked at it with wonder. Yen Lo Fei spoke to it.

"Ch'ing-dai! You, who shake the heavens and descend from the east, all that I ask of you is that you make me flesh and blood and I will devote myself to your conquest of the universe."

The black ball of energy continued to float still until it suddenly moved. It instantly bonded with Yen Lo Fei. Lo Fei coursed with powerful energy and it showed as he was partially surrounded with black and white lightning while his eyes glowed. When it ended, he stood silently for a moment until he asked one of his servants,

"Give me a needle. Now!"

One of the servants did what he asked. Lo Fei pierced himself to find that not only did it hurt, but he also bled.

"It's working. I am flesh and blood again!"

(pause)

The floating eyeball head crept up near Kaneki, but bumped near the wall. It made a sound that Kaneki could hear. The head alerted Lo Fei.

 _SNIKT!_

By the time Kaneki used his claws to kill the thing, it was too late. Yen Lo Fei screeched a command in chinese and all loyal to him shifted their attention to them.

"LOOK OUT, GUYS!"

Yelled Kaneki. However, Lo Fei gave another command in chinese for his men to not make a move.

"You are all too late! I have achieved mortality and the power to lay waste to the larger cosmos! You have come here to die."

"We came to stop you!"

Said Kaneki in defiance to Lo Fei's arrogance.

"With him?! He cannot protect himself, let alone anyone else."

"You're wrong about my shifu, Yen Lo Fei! He's made some mistakes in the past, but that doesn't mean he's a failure like you say he is. At his heart, Danny Rand is a hero. One strong enough to stop your plans before you can achieve them. I KNOW THIS FOR A FACT!"

Kaneki then said words of encouragement to Danny.

"Shifu, I know you have some regrets, but don't let them weigh you down. You are one of the greatest people I know. And you have led a life that is proof of that. You are everything I wish I could be, Shifu. That's why I followed you."

While Danny felt genuinely touched by the words of his student, Yen Lo Fei was amused by them.

"Beautiful words, boy. BUT USELESS! Your master doesn't have which is needed to banish me from this world."

"I never said I didn't."

Said Danny, refuting Lo Fei's claim as he stepped forward.

"Impossible! Caliban searched every corner of your mind. You do not possess them!"

"That was something I struggled to hide from your unwilling puppet, Yen Lo Fei."

Danny clapped his hands together. After making his hands glow, he took things a step further. His hands started to give a brighter glow until they were literally on fire. However, the fire did not burn his hands. They stayed lit, but Danny's hands did not attain any burns at all. Both human and mutant, magician and martial artist, demigod and demon all felt stupefied. For Yen Lo Fei, he felt absolutely terrified. Mortified by Danny's hands.

"THE FLAMES OF SHOU-LOU!"

"That's impossible! You couldn't."

Said Davos in disbelief.

"Oh, but I did, former brother. I was capable of manifesting the flames, but I couldn't maintain them. Thanks to my students' words, I put aside my feelings of inadequacy and focused on being the Iron Fist I had to be! KNOW ME FOR WHO I AM, YEN LO FEI! DEFENDER OF THE INNOCENT! SWORN ENEMY OF MALEVOLENCE ITSELF! I am…THE IMMORTAL IRON FIST!"

( _Resume at 1:33_ )

While Kaneki put on his mask, Po Shen yelled with the rest of the fighters joining in with him. The Hatchets loyal to Lo Fei did the same. At the same time, Lo Fei gave a command to Davos.

"Davos, protect me!"

Both sides charged at each other and instantly clashed with their respective weapons. Although the human fighters were equal in terms of strength and power, the fight between the three Storms and Kaneki, Danny, and Piotr would prove difficult. Danny saw Lo Fei fleeing the scene but would be stopped by both the thunder Storm and Davos.

"Surrender Davos! You stand to lose your life every second you're with Yen Lo Fei."

Both Davos and the thunder Storm fought Danny together. Initially, both had the upper hand, but that would soon be thwarted when Po Shen arrived by his side, and used his magic to aid the Iron Fist. He took out a gemstone and threw it at the thunder Storm. The result was an explosion that blew away the Storm into the upper balcony hallway.

"I handle Lo Fei. You handle the disgrace of K'un-Lun."

Davos attempted to intervene with Po Shen, but Danny stood in his way. Piotr faced the Lightning storm. He gave him a warning before they started.

"I must warn you. I punch hard."

Kaneki took down a few Hatchets before facing off against the rain Storm. He saw the sword in his hand.

"Don't think that'll last long against these."

Both Kaneki and the rain Storm performed acrobatic moves while fighting against each other. Every time Kaneki tried to stab the Storm with one of his claws, the Storm defended himself with far more skill than what Kaneki was capable of.

" _Damn. I can't seem to get a hit on this guy._ "

 _Follow my lead. I'll guide you._

Kaneki allowed Wolverine to tell him what move to use against the rain Storm. Although the rain Storm still proved difficult to kill, Kaneki did not make it easy for the Storm to land a hit on him. Everytime one side would try for a killing blow, the other would perform a series of aerobatic dodges. Kaneki and the rain Storm then both performed high leaps while their respective weapons clashed mid-air. Kaneki's fight against the rain Storm seemed to possessed no end in sight.

" _No matter what I try, I can't lay a finger on him._ "

 _He's more skilled than I thought. But he hasn't won yet._

" _Well, we're not at the point where you taking over becomes necessary. Are there any more moves you know?_ "

 _I got one. Follow my lead._

( _skip to 4:30_ )

Shen saw Lo Fei run from the scene. He took out another gemstone and threw it so far, that it collapsed the exit he was seeking. Yen Lo Fei turned around to see Po Shen within the crowd of fighters. Shen then used a sort-of primitive bazooka with a handmade glass missile and fired it at Yen Lo Fei. But Lo Fei muttered an incantation that deflected the shot. Yen Lo Fei taunted Shen for it.

"Peasant magic."

Po Shen now felt angry and took out another gemstone. Lo Fei spoke a short incantation while crossing his pinkie fingers like an X. This resulted in a stream of a green energy beam to flow, but Shen countered it by focusing his magic into his gemstone, resulting in a magenta colored energy beam that collided with the green beam, resulting in a metaphysical battle between the two's skill in magic. The battle took the form of ancient armored warriors battling each other with swords. The battle did not last long, but it proved that both were equal in magic skill. However, Yen Lo Fei was too arrogant to ever admit.

"If your ancestors could not stop me then, you have no chance."

Yen Lo Fei's moment of "triumph" would soon be cut short when Danny defeated Davos. Piotr had some trouble with the Lightning storm due to his metal skin. But his perseverance allowed him to stand his ground. The lightning Storm had to recharge his powers, which gave Piotr the opportunity to strike back. And he did so as he punched him to a nearby wall. Piotr had him pinned, which made it easy for him to deliver a series of punches that would knock him out cold.

"Piotr! Kill him!"

Yelled Danny, to which Piotr replied,

"I cannot!"

"Piotr, he isn't human!"

Piotr sees the Storm revitalizing himself with his powers.

"I see that."

Piotr gave the strong punch he ever gave directly to the lightning Storm's head, resulting in a dead demigod. The thunder Storm regained consciousness, only to see one of his comrade's dead at the hands of his enemy. The Storm went to Yen Lo Fei's side to protect him. The Storm opened up the exit Po Shen previously made unavailable to him. Both Danny and Shen went after the two, but the one to stand in their way was Chen Wu.

"You are not going anywhere!"

"Out of the way. You can't defeat us."

"Against you, Iron Fist, no. But my master can still fight you."

Danny instantly turned around to black Davos' punch. As the two fought a little more, Po Shen's opponent was Chen Wu. Wu stood ready, but Shen was unimpressed.

"Don't try acting tough."

"Tougher than you, old man."

"Is that right?"

Shen took out one more gemstone, and gave a simple throw. Wu laughed at this a little before the stone lit so brightly. When the light disappeared, there was nothing left of Wu but pure ash. he fighters that Shen brought with slowly outnumbered the Hatchets loyal to Yen Lo Fei. Though they suffered losses of their own, the Hatchets were losing the fight. The only problems left was Davos and the rain Storm. The rain Storm leapt up into the air to deal Kaneki a finishing strike. Kaneki, instead of doing the same, stood still for a moment.

 _Wait…wait…NOW!_

Kaneki spiral jumped to where he would meet with the rain Storm. At that precise moment, extended his arms so that his claws would slice the neck of the rain Storm. He was successful in doing as he decapitated the rain Storm while his body and severed head crashed to the ground. Kaneki landed on the ground, slightly disturbed by the sight of his handiwork.

 _Don't forget. He tried to kill you, and he was too dangerous to let live._

" _Maybe, but I don't feel good in doing that._ "

 _If you did feel good about killing somebody, that would be worrying._

Davos continued his fight with Danny, but his stamina ran low.

"Surrender, Davos. I have the upper hand."

"Never! You will die by my hand, Danny!"

( _end music_ )

Danny felt sad that the next move would be the decisive one. His right hand burned brighter than before. Before dealing the final blow, Danny looked back on all the good times he had with Davos back in K'un-Lun. From how he helped him in his lessons to sharing fun and mischief. As much as he cherished those memories, he also remembered when he saw darker aspects of Davos. And those aspects of himself consumed him to the man he had to kill today. When Davos finally got close to him, Danny drove his hand through Davos' chest and heart. His hand was covered in the blood and gore of his enemy. An enemy, at one point in his life, would give his life for. Davos said nothing as he slowly died in Danny's arm. When he did, Danny let the body drop to the floor. Shen, Piotr, and Kaneki could see the grief he was trying hold back. Kaneki, however, could see that his Shifu shed one tear for his former brother-in-arms. Kaneki went to his Shifu's side and said to him,

"I know some part of you mourns for him, but we have to move on. We have a world to save, Shifu."

Danny dried his eye and regained his resolve.

"Right."

(play _The Final Escape (Lo Pan's demise/gateway – Same OST_ )

While the fighters stayed behind in case for enemy reinforcements, Kaneki, Danny, Piotr and Shen went down the same path to chase after Yen Lo Fei. They eventually find him, alongside one of the last Storms, Thunder.

"Po Shen. And you've brought friends with you."

"You have lost, Lo Fei. Don't make this harder than it already is."

"You forget, Po Shen. I have the power of my master flowing through my body."

"The power of a demon!"

"Exactly! Something you cannot hope to compare."

"But I can."

Danny stepped in front of everyone.

"The Iron Fist. Clearly Davos could never be your equal."

Danny became slightly angry when Yen Lo Fei spoke that name.

"I'll have to remedy that."

( _skip to 2:09_ )

Yen Lo Fei summoned demonic energies and transferred some of them to Thunder. This made the Storm more powerful than before. His eyes glowed red as crimson lightning course through his body. Shen said to Danny,

"You take care of Lo Fei! We got him!"

Piotr and Kaneki rushed toward Thunder. Not to just defeat him, but to distract him while Danny fought against Lo Fei. Danny summoned the flames once more. Though Lo Fei used his magic to fight against Danny, it was ineffective as Danny used the flames to create barrier constructs to protect himself from Lo Fei's magic. While the thunder Storm was having a hard time dealing with two mutants and a magic user. Po Shen used every magic technique he could muster to aid in the defeat of the final Storm. Piotr then had a plan and told it to Kaneki.

"Kaneki, I have plan, but you must follow my lead."

"Got it."

Piotr stood in front of Kaneki and charged toward the Storm. Thunder used the crimson lightning given to him to damage Piotr. He held on as long as he could while continuing his charge towards him. When the storm increased the voltage, it made Piotr kneel in exhaustion.

"You have fell for it."

 _SNIKT!_

Kaneki performed a giant leap to get behind the Storm and stabbed both his sides with his claws.

"Move aside, big guy!"

Shen uttered an incantation that summoned a fireball aimed straight at the Storm's heart. Kaneki got out of the way, and the fireball hit the Storm right in the heart. The last of the Three Storms was now dead. Kaneki expressed his gratitude to Shen.

"Nice job on the fireball."

"You got some good moves on you, kid. And that was a pretty good plan, big guy."

Just then, a yell was heard. Danny drove his hand into Lo Fei's chest. But Yen Lo Fei did not die yet.

"I know he was fallen, but he was still a brother to me! I will make you pay. Not just for Davos, but for all the lives you have taken just to bind yourself to your demon."

"What are you going to do to me?"

Asked Yen Lo Fei in a fearful voice. Danny concentrated, as the flames now spread from his hands to all over Yen Lo Fei's body. Lo Fei yelled out in pain. A circle of fire then appeared behind Lo Fei. He looked at it to see blood red dragons fighting with each other while people run from the fighting dragons, but could not escape. Yen Lo Fei could see what Danny was going to do to him.

"I SEND YOU TO THE HELL OF RAMPAGING DRAGONS!"

Danny pushed Yen Lo Fei into the flaming portal. Lo Fei yelled in terror as he entered said hell before the flaming portal closed. Yen Lo Fei was no longer of this world. They all cheered at the Iron Fist's victory over ancient evil. But that victory was short-lived as the building started to rumble. The Tigers and Hatchets loyal to Sherry went up to where Shen and the others went. Kaneki asked Shen,

"Why is this happening right now?!"

"Yen Lo Fei must've bonded this building to his chi. Since he is dead, so will the building!"

"We need to get out here!"

Said Danny as Piotr discovered a staircase leading to the top. Everyone immediately went for the staircase and ran straight to the top. It took a long time, but they made it the upper interior of the Wing Kong Exchange. When Kaneki made it, he discovers a lot of people inside escaping as well. Danny tapped his shoulder snap him back to reality.

"Come on! This is gonna go!"

"Right!"

Everyone searched for a way out of the building until Piotr discovered a gate used for trucks open.

"I see the outside! GO!"

Everyone followed Piotr out of the building.

( _end music_ )

When the last of the fighters got outside the building, the building blew up in a spectacular explosion. All stood still to see the flames burn what was left of the legacy of Yen Lo Fei. As they looked on, Kaneki spoke to his Shifu.

"Well Shifu, you just proved that you not such a failure after all. You saved the world from being taken over by an evil god ghost."

Danny smiled as he placed his hand on Kaneki's shoulder.

"Well, I had pretty good friends who helped me a lot."

A group of cars arrived at the burning ruins of the Wing Kong Exchange. One of the first to step out of them was Sherry Lee.

"Po Shen. I believe you asked for these to arrive."

"Just in time. Get in before the cops do."

The fighters did not hesitate to enter the cars. The same was said for Danny and Kaneki. Piotr elected to stay behind. Kaneki was curious to know why.

"Piotr, aren't you coming?"

"I cannot. I must stay to give version of events that, while true, excludes certain details that neither of us want exposed."

Kaneki nodded, entering the car. All of them left while police cars and fire trucks went to the scene.

xxxxxx

(Crane of the Blue Pond)

A massive celebration was being held for the survivors of the battle of the Wing Kong. Since both Tigers and Hatchets were celebrating together, it served as a favorable indication that the gang wars would end. Touka and Nishiki joined in the celebration as well, eating alongside Tigers and Hatchets while thoroughly enjoying the food that Li Wong provided. Kaneki simply laughed alongside the fighters until he saw Danny and Shen sharing a table together. He wondered what they were speaking about.

"So, K'un-Lun is truly dead?"

"Yes. Even though defeating somebody like Yen Lo Fei is something an Iron Fist should never hesitate to do, that doesn't change the fact that I left everyone to die."

"Some things we must to live with in order to pursue the path we believe is right. The whole point of K'un-Lun was to defeat the Hand."

"Yes, it was."

"Then all we can do is respect the dead and live a life consistent with an idea of good."

Both raised a teacup.

"To K'un-Lun."

"Kampai."

The two performed a small toast. Then Shen got up and left the restaurant through the back. Kaneki decided to talk with him before he left.

(play _One's Word – DARLING in the FRANXX OST_ )

"Shen."

"Hey there, kid."

"Don't you want to celebrate further?"

"In a way, I am. I'm planning a sort of overdue vacation."

"Heading for the homeland?"

"China is always with me. Besides, I was actually thinking somewhere like Acapulco. Good place for margaritas."

Shen laughed a little.

"Well, I hope you have a good time."

"And I wish a good life for you."

Kaneki was confused by that last statement.

"Um, what?"

"When you practiced magic for as long as I have, you pick up a few things. I won't lie to you, kid. You got some dark days ahead. But I think you'll turn out fine. You're a little like your shifu. You got the heart of a champion inside you. Just know who you are, what you love, and you'll turn out fine."

Po Shen exited the restaurant, leaving for a vacation he earned.

xxxxxx

(Tokyo, 9th ward)

Touka and Nishiki wanted to walk with Danny to his dojo in the 9th ward. Danny told the two that Piotr stayed behind to give a version of events that the GCB, and other authorities, would accept with little question. Touka then gave a question.

"What are the chances that this'll make the Doves give back the 20th ward to Piotr?"

"Don't know. We'll have to ask Yoshimura when we get the chance."

Said Nishiki. They all finally arrived at Danny's dojo.

"Thanks for walking home with me, guys."

"Nothing to it, Iron Fist."

"Catch you later Danny."

"Kaneki, remember next week."

"You got it."

"Before you go…"

Both stood still for a moment before the two placed their respective fists against their respective open hand.

"Bi zuotian hao."

"Shi de, Shifu."

As Nishiki, Touka, and Kaneki walked back to their homes, Danny went around the gym to his apartment, which were in the same building. He noticed lights inside were on for some reason. When he entered, his apprehension slowly turned into warmth when he saw somebody he wanted to connect with again, but could not do so before.

"Hello again, Danny."

"Kaya."

Irimi was waiting for Danny almost all day.

"I heard you had one hell of a busy day."

"Understatement."

"Want to tell me all about it?"

Irimi caressed his chest as she got close to him.

"Depends. What do you want to do first?"

The two embraced each other before giving each other a deep kiss. One that both longed for with each other for quite some time.

 **And that is IT! This chapter was so long to write, but I personally believed it was worth it. I hope you all enjoyed it. Shen's little bit of foreshadowing should give you a clue as to what will happen next. For now, I'm taking a little break, but I will get back to this soon. Comment in the reviews if you liked, loved, or hated this chapter. Keep the hate constructive. Share with your friends if you feel it's worth sharing. Stay tuned for the next installment. Ja nee!**


	9. Ch 8

**Good to see you all again. We're back to the main storyline of the anime, but with a twist. In this chapter, things start lowkey only to end in surprise twists and tragedy. As Kaneki learns a little more about ghouls and how he can help better their lot, events outside of anyone's knowing will converge to a showdown that will shock both characters and reader alike. Let's start!**

Ch. 8 – Sunshower

Two weeks had passed since the events of the Wing Kong exchange. Life went back to normal for Kaneki (mostly) Even today, life would seem no different than yesterday. However, he could not forget how the local news cycle treated the events surrounding the Wing Kong exchange. The report given to the both the GCB and the media by Piotr was mostly accepted. The people of both Tokyo and Yokohama were relieved to know the gang wars came to an effective end. However, for Danny Rand, it gave his life a measure of inconvenience. News reporters hounded the secret billionaire as the report outed his status as an enhanced. Everyone who ever learned kung-fu under him were harassed by reporters. Including Kaneki. Time would prove to be an invaluable ally as the media simply moved on, which gave a many amount of people relief. As he got up and finished his breakfast, Kaneki got ready for work, since he had no classes today. Before he did, he looked at his new black hoodie and the mask that Uta made for him. He realized that never got to fully test it. Even though it did fit his face and head, Kaneki never knew if Uta gave it the customized additions he requested.

" _Better now than never._ "

He put on the mask and it fit him like before.

" _Now to see where it is._ "

Kaneki placed his hands on his mask while he was wearing it to find the voice modulator he requested Uta to install. He felt a slight bump close to the bottom of his left ear.

" _Is this it?_ "

As soon as he pressed it, nothing happened at first.

" _Voice check._ "

Kaneki spoke, in a familiar voice.

" **Testing, testing. One, two, three. Testing.** "

When Kaneki spoke, his tone of voice was deeper, almost unrecognizable. In some ways, he sounded like the Wolverine when he spoke.

" **Nice work, Uta.** "

Kaneki pressed the button for the modulator to turn it off, and removed his mask. He decided to take it with him. However, that presented a problem.

" _How do I take it with me…?_ "

He remembered that he takes with him a small duffel bag for his regular clothes whenever he had to change into his uniform for work.

"Some problems solve themselves. Better get to work."

xxxxxx

(Anteiku)

The day was half over. By then, Hide came by to hang out at the café, but could not stay for long. There was still enough time for him to hear Kaneki's part in the battle of the Wing Kong exchange.

"So, you really went against a demigod with a sword?"

"It wasn't easy. He was a lot more agile than me. I certainly didn't make easy for him, but I barely landed a hit on him."

"So, how'd you defeat him?"

"I waited for him to come to me. Shifu taught me a technique that require both patience and a certain sense of kinesthetics."

Both Hide and Nishiki were confused by the last word Kaneki just said.

"Kine-what now?"

"Kinesthetics, Nishiki. It's kind of like muscle memory. It's like how…you can walk up the stairs without looking at the steps."

"Oh. I kind of get that."

"Shifu helped me gain awareness of my movements while I fight. It's not expert level, but it's made me consciousness of the limits of my limbs."

"And was that how you beat him?"

"Part of it."

Hide took one more sip of his coffee.

"Well, I can't imagine you doing something like that on a daily basis."

Kaneki slightly laughed in agreement with Hide.

"Right with you there."

"Still, what I've been hearing about what happened in the 8th ward and Yokohama. It's all pretty unbelievable. And your sensei, Daniel Rand, was involved in it. Does he really have some sort of super power, Kaneki? You gotta tell me, man!"

Both Kaneki and Nishiki looked at each other in a knowing glance.

"You just have to see it for yourself."

"Aaawww come on!"

Just then, a small slam on a nearby table was heard by the three. Hinami sat with her mother for a talk until she gave an outburst.

"It's not fair. I just…I wanna see daddy!"

Hinami lightly cried as she ran from her mother and into their apartment within Anteiku. Ryouko could only look on as her daughter ran from her. Kaneki looked at Ryouko for one moment before he went after Hinami. Hide sees the scene with confusion.

"What was that all about?"

"She's a kid. Temper tantrums are pretty much normal."

Irimi hands Nishiki an coin purse, to his confusion, while Hide remembered what he had to do again.

"Crap! I'm gonna be late! This should cover it."

As Hide went through his wallet to pay for his drink, Ryouko simply sat as she could not bring herself to tell Hinami the real reason why she could not see her father. Kaneki arrived at the door where she and her mother stayed and knocked.

"Hinami? You okay?"

After waiting for a moment, Kaneki walked away.

" _She didn't answer._ "

 _Kid must be missing her old man bad._

" _You think Ryouko knows anything?_ "

 _Let's find out._

Kaneki soon sat with Ryouko to get to the root of Hinami's problems.

"It's my fault she's acting out. Because my husband's not here, I have to be both parents. It's a lot harder than I imagined it to be."

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but…is there a reason why she can't see her dad?"

Ryouko took a moment before giving Kaneki an explanation.

"It's been a long while since we've heard from my husband. She's dreadfully worried. As am I. She really wants to go see him, but I can't let her."

 _Ask her if her husband is involved in something bad._

Kaneki initially hesitated until he went for it.

"Why not let her? I mean, is he involved in something bad?"

The look on Ryouko's served as indication on how exact Wolverine's question was.

 _Knew it._

Ryouko fiddled around her coffee with a small spoon before speaking further.

"My husband, Asaki, was involved with some pretty dangerous people in the 13th ward. It was only when Hinami was born that he wanted to leave that life behind him."

She then took a sip of her coffee.

"I don't put his past against him. He's been a wonderful husband to me, and a great father to Hinami. That was all that really mattered to me."

Ryouko stood up from her seat.

"You sure I can't do anymore to help?"

"Well, I was going to talk to her and maybe buy her a new book to calm her down. But I have been meaning to ask you something."

"Um, sure. Anything you like."

Ryouko sat down once more.

"I asked Yoshimura about the Tsukiyama incident in which that both Nishio and Touka had to…take a bite out of you. To recover."

Kaneki remembered when he gave the flesh of his arm to the two of them so they would regain their strength to fight against the mutants who attempted to kidnap him.

"Yeah, that…definitely happened."

"After that, they were sick for a full day. I know that because I spoke to Touka about it while after you helped that Daniel Rand person. My question is this."

Ryouko took a deep breath before she asked him,

"Is it true that when she ate your flesh, it got her to eat human food?"

Kaneki stiffened as he almost forgotten that Nishio and Touka eating the same food he eats is actually a recent thing. He remembered how Nishiki threw up the taiyaki he ate front of both him and Hide. He remembered hearing Touka forcing herself to eat Yoriko's lunch before the Tsukiyama incident. Him witnessing the two enjoying Li Wong's food during the celebration at the restaurant made him forget that for a second.

"Yes, it was actually. I remember seeing the two of them enjoying chinese food after I returned from the Wing Kong exchange with Shifu and Piotr."

"Did you recover from that?"

"When Touka and Nishiki ate my flesh?"

"Yes."

"Well, yeah I did. In addition to my claws, I also have a healing factor. Whatever injuries I get, I heal like it never happened."

Ryouko stiffened a little before she asked Kaneki,

"Would you…give some of your flesh to Hinami, then?"

Kaneki was shocked to hear what Ryouko asked of him. The question also shocked Irimi, who worked the bar close to their table.

"I know Hinami reads a lot of books because she wants to learn, but because she's a ghoul, she can't go to school. Not without exposing her true nature."

Her hands trembled a little the more she spoke.

"At least, when I tell that she could go to school, it would take her mind off her worries. I want the best for Hinami but this world…is so cruel. If Hinami could fit in the rest of the humans, then even if something happened to us, she can have, at least, some semblance of a normal life. She could live out her life. I don't want to leave her alone in the world. But…"

Kaneki saw what weighed heavy in Ryouko's heart. She knew that one day, she would have to leave behind Hinami. Not because she did not care for her safety, but because of her safety. However, that would also mean leaving her only daughter in a world that not just feared her, but hated her. The thought of her dying only for her daughter to meet the same fate filled her with despair. That was the reason why she wanted to go to Kaneki for such a favor. He possessed the genetic potential for Hinami to achieve a measure of happiness. She could, at least, hide among the humans in peace. Although she would have to live with sadness, she was comfortable knowing that she could live mistaken as one of the humans.

 _Poor woman. She knows how the world sees her and her family as monsters. In reality, she's anything but._

" _Can I do something?_ "

 _It's been proven. I know we don't know the full details yet…_

" _Still, I care about Hinami too._ "

"Well…I won't say no. How could I? Hinami deserves to be happy."

Ryouko now felt elation as Kaneki offered a concrete ray of hope for her daughter.

"You'll do it?! Really?!"

"Sure. Why…"

"Ryouko?"

Irimi overheard the whole thing and decided to intervene.

"Don't jump into something you don't have the full details about."

"I…I just want…"

"I know you're worried about both your husband and daughter, but don't make choices you don't fully know yet. You could regret it later on. Let's talk to Yoshimura about it."

Ryouko at first felt bitter, but eventually agreed with Irimi.

xxxxxx

The three of them stepped into Yoshimura's office to talk about the subject.

"I see."

He sat on his desk while gripping his hands in a contemplative manner.

"Irimi. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I knew, sooner or later, we would have to tackle this…discovery. Have Nishio wait outside my office."

"Yes sir."

Now it was Ryouko and Kaneki turn to speak with Yoshimura.

" _Why do I feel like I was sent to the principal office?_ "

He looked at Ryouko to see the same expression of apprehension as well.

"Ryouko."

"Yes?"

"I know that not hearing from your husband for quite a long time has made not only your life difficult, but Hinami's as well. The two of you are racked with worry. For Hinami, it feels as if it has gone on for too long."

Ryouko felt transparent the way Yoshimura described the situation.

"Please understand. I just want to keep Hinami…"

"I know you don't want to keep Hinami worried any longer, but what you were asking of Kaneki…it seems a little extreme, don't you think? Perhaps it would achieve the short-term goal of Hinami worrying less, but that is all it would do."

Now Ryouko felt completely exposed when Yoshimura correctly guessed her intentions.

"Please give me time until we know that this is safe for Hinami. I'll let you go now and attend to your daughter. She needs you now."

"Thank you, Yoshimura."

Ryouko left the room, leaving only Kaneki alone with Yoshimura. The room was tense with silence for a little while.

"Kaneki, I am not going to scold you for wanting to help Ryouko."

He exhaled through his nose as a sign of relief.

"I completely understand your reasons. I've noticed Hinami warming up to you when you decided to help her gain an expanded vocabulary and better understand literature. But you must realize. There is so much we do not know about how your mutated flesh affects ghouls. Yes, we do know that your flesh can help ghouls devour human food with no problem. What we don't know is how it will affect ghouls five or 10 years from now."

Kaneki understood what Yoshimura was saying.

"Until we do know more, this will stay within Anteiku. Understood?"

"Yes sir."

"If you see Nishio outside my door, tell him to come inside."

Kaneki nodded yes before he stood up and left Yoshimura's office. When he exited, he sees Nishio waiting.

"Yoshimura said to come inside."

"Great. Just what the hell did I do?"

As Nishio entered, Kaneki decided to see Ryouko make amends with Hinami before heading back to work. He got to see the two reconciling just in time.

"Hinami. Open up."

Ryouko turned the handle, only to find that Hinami locked it.

"Please. I want to talk."

"No! I'm not letting you in! Leave me alone."

"Hinami, I know you want to see daddy again, but I can't let you."

"Why won't let me?! WHY?!"

"You need to calm down, Hinami!"

Hinami sat behind the closed door with her head within her knees.

"I'm sorry. I should've raised my voice like that. This is hard on all of us. I'm sure your dad misses you the same way we miss him. I really do want to see him again, but I don't want us to get in his way."

Ryouko took a deep breath as she tried to contain her emotions.

"I hate that I'm putting you through this."

Hinami unlocked the door a little to see her mom.

"Hinami…You're not alone in missing him."

Ryouko cried a little when she told her daughter how much she missed Asaki. Hinami opened the door to hug her mother.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you. Are you still angry with me?"

"No. I promise I'll stop acting sad. So, please don't cry."

"Okay."

Kaneki looked on before he left to head back to work. But not before a memory suddenly popped into his head. In the memory, young Kaneki stood beside his mother as she was on her bed. Halfway sleeping while also caressing his head. He was happy. It brought a tear to his face.

xxxxxx

(13th ward, nighttime)

Asaki sat alone in his clinic. The look on his face was one of despair and sorrow. He longed to see his family again, but Yamori had the audacity to barge into his life again for a request. When the door opened, it was him that came through it.

"Yamori."

He looked around the place before picking a hand-drawn picture Asaki pinned on a wooden board near his desk.

"Business a little slow today, doc?"

"Here. Take this and get out of my office."

Asaki placed a pair of pliers on his desk, similar to the one Yamori lost a long time ago. Yamori lets go of the picture to grab the pliers Asaki made for him. He gets a feel for the object in hand.

"Perfect. All the way down to the details. She's gonna regret pissing me off."

Yamori laughed a little as he fiddled with his pliers a little longer.

"I've done what you've asked. Now please. Leave me alone."

"Now what's wrong with my company, doctor?"

"I just want to be with my family in peace."

Yamori cracked his fingers a little before leaving the clinic.

"All right. Have it your way."

Asaki picked up the picture Yamori left on the floor.

"Hinami, Ryouko. We'll be together again."

Yamori was still standing in the clinic when Asaki said that.

"I hate to be a nuisance doc, but something I got to know. When did you become **a rat to the goddamn doves?!** "

Yamori stabbed him in the back, making the wound spill out onto the picture, and threw him out of his clinic through the window and wall. When Asaki was out, he landed in front of Amon and Madou.

"Box carriers…why are the doves here?"

The two ignored him to focus on Yamori, whom the doves given the codename Jason to.

"Seems our patience finally paid off. What'd I tell you, Amon? Use the small fries as bait and our big catch would soon come to us."

"Mr. Madou, is that…?"

"Jason. Funny seeing you here. What's a big beast like you doing in a small jungle like this?"

Madou readied his quinque for a fight. It was green with red veins coursing through it. It possessed a sword function while it moved like tentacles at the wielder's command.

"You didn't think we wouldn't find you, now did you?"

Amon looked at Yamori, remembering his stats.

"S-rated. 13th ward's Jason."

He then took out his quinque. It was simple, yet highly effective. A metal rod with a cylindrical battering ram that rotated at high speeds at the wielder's command. Madou swung first at Yamori. However, Yamori was too fast for him and dodged it with ease. Madou gave chase while Yamori just jumped around to dodge Madou's strikes. And to prove that he had no problem with it, he did so while his hands were still in his pockets. Even with Amon assisting in the fight, Yamori did not bat an eye when Amon attacked from behind. When the dust cleared, both Madou and Amon saw each other but the ghoul was nowhere in their sight. Yamori made himself known once again as he leaned at the clinic entrance.

"You two ain't half bad."

He then looked at his watch for the time.

"Yeah, I'll have fun with you two for a bit."

He stepped back into the shadows while Amon and Madou looked on.

"Sorry. I was too slow."

"No worries. We'll get him soon."

"Is that right?"

Said Yamori as he suddenly appeared behind Amon. Amon attempted to retaliate but Yamori gave a swift kick to his gut and flinged him outside of the ruined clinic. Madou attempted to strike him in the back, but was too slow to pull it off. As Amon slid on the ground, he was close to crashing into a nearby car wreck, but was losing inertia.

"Come on!"

Yamori gave another powerful kick to get him to crash and get injured in the process.

"I thought you'd put up a better fight."

Madou swung his weapon in between Yamori and Amon.

"Allow me to oblige. You doing okay, Amon?"

"Yes sir."

"Then sit tight and catch your breath!"

Yamori used his pliers to fight against Madou's quinque. The two seemed evenly matched. Their weapons clashed for a bit before Madou was only one swinging his weapon around while Yamori dodged his attacks. Then, for a moment, Madou seemed to slip.

"Got you, old man."

"Oh really?"

The quinque then split into three tentacles and trapped Yamori.

"You're mine!"

The tentacles then clamped together, making Madou believe that he had finally killed Jason. Only for Jason's emerging kagune to prove him mortally wrong. Yamori laughed at Madou's arrogance as he shattered his quinque.

"That all you got, old man?"

"GET AWAY!"

Yelled Amon as he got up and rushed to his partner's side. By the time he got close to strike Jason with his quinque, he already dodged it and kept himself at a safe distance. He looked at his watch one more time.

"Well, gentlemen. That's all the time I have. Better luck next time."

Yamori fled from the scene, not to be seen again. Amon felt frustrated that he allowed a S-rated ghoul to live.

"Damn it! You okay?"

"Fine. Just a little miffed that he broke my quinque."

Both men looked around for the other ghoul that was thrown to their feet by Jason earlier. When they returned to where he landed, all they found was a trail of blood.

"He got away."

"Perhaps, but judging by the way his injuries looked, not for long."

Madou sees where the trail led to.

"You go ahead and handle him. I'll call it in."

Amon nodded to the request and started hunting after Asaki. Asaki limped in order to get away, but could not go far due to how life-threatening his injuries were. Eventually, Amon caught up to him in a nearby alley. With great difficulty, he slowly manifested his kagune. It was similar to that of a scorpion tail, in that it extends to attack. But the tail was fashioned like a sword that was also a whip. Asaki yelled as he charged toward Amon for a desperation attack, but proved itself fatally futile as Amon brushed the kagune off with his quinque and slammed Asaki head against the alley wall, killing him. Madou eventually caught up with Amon. He sees his partner's handiwork.

"Good job. No mercy."

"Thank you."

Madou sees the kagune on the headless ghoul corpse.

"Well, that's…just…beautiful. I think I have a new favorite toy."

Moments passed as both the police and a squad of GCB personnel arrived at the scene. The police kept the public at bay while the personnel conducted the investigation. Most of them looked inside the clinic for any additional information about the ghoul who ran it. They discovered that not only he knew medicine, but he also had a family. While the others ran a forensic investigation of the scene. Amon still felt angry with himself for not being able to take down Jason.

"I still can't believe I let Jason get away."

"Don't be mad with yourself. After all, I was the idiot who let his quinque be broken. I'm sure we'll run into him again soon."

"Fair enough, sir."

"In the meantime, I bet we can use this."

Madou pointed to the ghoul corpse, suggesting his kagune could be harvested.

xxxxxx

(Anteiku)

Even though Kaneki's shift had already ended, he stayed behind due to Hinami's request. She asked him about how he was part of what happened in the 8th ward. She kept hearing people talk about it but could never form a concrete picture. When she finally got Kaneki to talk about it, she was absolutely stunned at what she heard.

"Your shifu's hands were on fire, but they didn't burn?"

"Nope. His hands were perfectly fine. It was so freaky, but awesome at the same time!"

Hinami was fangirling at the story the same way Kaneki fanboyed as he was telling it.

"What happened next? What happened next?!"

"Great, big, super-powered, kung-fu battle happened! I went up against one of the storms who fought against me with a sword, and I fought him with my claws."

 _SNIKT!_

Kaneki brought out his claws for dramatic effect and retracted them soon after.

"While me and Piotr fought against the storms and Shifu against his former friend, Po Shen fought against Yen Lo Fei with his magic."

Hinami gasped with childlike wonder when Kaneki mentioned magic.

"The two unleased beams of light that clashed into each other, and the lights soon became two giant stone warriors who fought each other with big fat swords!"

"WOW!"

"I know, right?! The two were evenly matched but Lo Fei would not admit it. As the battle dragged on, me and Piotr beat two of the storms. But Yen Lo Fei got away with the thunder storm helping him. Me, Shifu, Piotr, and Po Shen chased after him. He was down, but it was up to my Shifu to take him out."

"How did he?"

"Yen Lo Fei used his magic to try to hurt him, but Shifu was too strong for him. But he also used his magic to give the last of the storms additional power to help him defeat shifu, but me, Piotr, and Shen defeated him so Shifu could not only take out Yen Lo Fei, but send him somewhere he can never come back."

"Where did he send him?"

Kaneki signaled Hinami to come closer.

"The Hell of Rampaging Dragons."

Hinami gasped at how terrifying Kaneki made it sound.

"Shifu used the flames of Shou-Lou to open a portal and pushed Yen Lo Fei to damnation he can never return from!"

"WHOA!"

"After that, we had to escape because Lo Fei tied the building to his life, and we got out just in time. And that's what happened."

Hinami clapped at how amazing Kaneki made the story sound. For her, it sounded like the kind of adventures the Avengers, X-men, or even the Fantastic Four occasionally take part of.

"That was incredible, Kaneki. I wish I could've been there."

Kaneki laughed slightly at how amazing she must have felt he was when he felt anything but. By then, Ryouko entered the room.

"Why the clapping, Hinami?"

"Kaneki just told me about how he helped Danny save the world from an ancient evil bad guy with magic."

"Oh my. Sounds amazing."

"It is, mom! It really really is."

"Well, it's already time to go to bed."

"Okay…"

Said Hinami dejectedly.

"Don't sound like that. I want you fully rested for tomorrow because I want to get you a present."

Hinami gasped at the sound of her mother saying present.

"Okay. I'll go brush my teeth."

Kaneki smiled how happy she sounded.

"Thank you for keeping her busy."

"It's no problem."

"I really do appreciate you for caring for Hinami, even when you didn't have to. You're really the closest thing she has to a big brother."

"You flatter me, ma'am. Really."

Kaneki slightly bowed as he left the room and went to the employee locker room to get his duffel bag. When he did, he decided to check up on Touka before he left for home. It would prove itself moot as Touka was already at the entrance of the employee locker room.

(play _Julia – Final Fantasy VIII OST_ )

"Hey."

"Hi."

The two remained silent for a while before Touka decided to go.

"I'll…get out of…"

"Don't."

Touka was surprised to hear Kaneki asking her to stay.

"I want to talk. You haven't acted like yourself lately. I'm worried. And so is Hinami."

Touka felt a little guilty worrying Hinami, even though she missed her father dearly.

"I feel like a failure."

"Why?"

"Because…I couldn't kill her. Kimi."

Kaneki remembered when Kimi called her kagune pretty during the Tsukiyama incident.

"And there's the fact that…I can't eat flesh anymore."

Kaneki felt sad that he contributed to her loss of identity.

"You know…before, I saw Hinami argue with her mom earlier in the day. She wanted to see her dad again, but Ryouko couldn't let her. She didn't want her to see the kind of life her father had before she came into the world. Ryouko even asked me to…"

"To what?"

Asked Touka, curious as to what Ryouko wanted from him.

"She wanted Hinami to eat my flesh so she could eat human food."

Touka was shocked to hear that Ryouko asked of him to do something potentially dangerous.

"Why would she do that?!"

"She thought that if Hinami could eat human food, she could fit in with humans well enough to go to school. Like you do."

Touka now began to feel a little guilty, playing a part in her outrageous actions.

"Of course, Yoshimura caught wind of it, and nipped it in the bud before either of us could go ahead with it."

Touka contently sighed as it was one of the choices that Yoshimura made that she could agree with.

"See the two argue, then patch things up…it made me think 'must be nice to have a family.' Seeing them made me realize that family is all the same. No matter if you're a human, mutant, inhuman, or even ghoul. I just didn't see that until I came here. Learning that made feel like…I wish everyone else could feel the same way. Nishio's relationship with Kimi could be seen as the way things could and should be. And, in all honesty, I wanted to give my flesh for Hinami to eat. I never known anyone more deserving of an education more than her."

Touka stood silent for a moment before resuming the conversation.

"Is that all you wanted to say?"

"I also wanted to say I'm sorry for mentioning Yoriko during that night. It was really a dick move on my part."

Touka continued to stand silent.

"I'll let Yoshimura know tomorrow that you need more time."

"…Thanks."

Kaneki then left Anteiku and headed home.

( _end music_ )

xxxxxx

(The next day)

Due to Touka not feeling well once more, Kaneki volunteered to take over her shift until she felt better. Yoshimura decided it was not necessary as he expected today to be a slow day. Kaneki then went to work with no problem. It went as expected. With one exception. Yoshimura wanted to speak with Ryouko about yesterday.

"Yoshimura, I learned my lesson and…"

"It's not that, Ryouko. But rather the opposite."

Ryouko felt confused by that statement.

"After I was done speaking with Kaneki, I then spoke with Nishio. I asked him to see if Kimi did any tests on him."

"What kinds of tests?"

"DNA, to be precise."

The confusion remained, but more present than before. So much so that Yoshimura could see it on her face.

"Allow me to clarify. Kimi was curious about how far the mutation within Nishio would go."

"When he ate a piece of Kaneki's flesh?"

"Precisely. She had some blood samples from before the Tsukiyama incident, courtesy of Piotr. Her initial hypothesis was proven correct. When Nishio ate some of Kaneki's flesh, it did change part of his DNA responsible for nutrition, but the process was such a radical undertaking for his body to handle that it manifested as a 24-hour fever."

"So, If I had Hinami eat it, she would have to be bedridden for a full day?"

"Exactly. Not to mention that, physically speaking, both Touka and Nishio are two fully grown adults. They're better equipped to sleep through a fever of that magnitude. We don't know what will happen if we subjected Hinami through something like that."

Now Ryouko felt guilty about putting Hinami through something possibly painful.

"Now that isn't to say she'll die if you decided to go through with it. As I said before, I spoke with Nishio about it, and I even spoke with miss Nishino about the subject. From what I can understand, When Nishio ate the flesh, it only affected parts of his DNA for nutrition, but that was it. She saw no further mutations to Nishio's genetic structure. He's still a ghoul in that he can manifest a kagune like you and me. As well as ordinary metals, aside from vibranium, cannot hurt him."

"So, genetically speaking, he's still a ghoul but he can eat human food."

"Precisely. If Hinami were of that same age, she could go through something like that, but turn out all right."

"But, what if…she was to go through that now?"

Yoshimura took a moment to think on the idea further.

"I'll have another talk with miss Nishino about it, but I like to believe that Hinami would turn out more than alright. But it doesn't hurt to have a…professional opinion about it."

Ryouko smiled in gratitude.

"Thank you, Yoshimura."

She then left the office.

" _I don't want to get her hopes up._ "

xxxxxx

Kaneki was still in the café as it was now the afternoon. It was exactly as Yoshimura described it. A slow day. Luckily for him, today was also Wednesday. Since it was just him and Irimi, he told her about it and she lets him go.

"Thanks, Irimi."

As he went to the employee locker room and changed, he decides to go out through the front entrance. But not before Irimi spoke with him a little.

"Kaneki, I wanted to ask you something."

"About what?"

"Danny. How is he?"

"He's doing fine now. Relieved that the news is finally letting go of the "fire" that happened at the Wing Kong exchange."

"I'm glad to hear that."

"Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

Kaneki took a moment to get the wording right.

"Did you meet Shifu in the past before?"

Irimi was slightly taken aback by that question. She slightly blushed at how Kaneki picked up what romantic feelings she had for him.

"Yes, I did. I was a completely different person back then. While Yoshimura helped me be a kinder person, Danny Rand was the only man I gave my heart to. He made me happy. But I knew his mission to defeat the Hand could not be ignored. That's why I never put it against him when he went back to New York to finish the job. That said, he's more than eager to make up for lost time."

Kaneki smiled at how happy Irimi felt at being back together with Danny. At the same time, Ryouko was getting Hinami ready for a day of shopping.

"Hinami, you ready?"

"Hm-mm. I'm ready."

As she entered, Ryouko asked her daughter,

"So, what is it you want today?"

"A new book."

"Really?"

"Hm-mm."

Hinami presented to her mother the book written by Sen Takatsuki.

"I've already learned every word inside this book."

"That's amazing, honey. I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks. I wanna get a new book so I can learn new words to surprise dad. Also, his birthday is coming up and I want to get him a present."

"That's right. Thank you for reminding me. What did you want to get him?"

"A book."

"Okay. This calls for a trip to the bookstore."

xxxxxx

A small group of GCB investigators were out in the streets interviewing mother and daughter couples. They struck out with everyone so far. Hide was also in the streets as well, eyeing them while they did their jobs. Then he looked at the sky.

"Storm's coming."

It began to rain shortly after. By then, both Hinami and Ryouko were already shopping.

"You were right, mom. It is raining."

"Told you so."

"Mom, you know what this is?"

"It's rain, right?"

"More than that. It's a sunshower. Kaneki taught me that word and what it means. It means rain that happens while the sun is still out. See?"

Hinami points to the sky, in which the sun was still out while it was raining.

"Oh wow. He sure is smart, isn't he?"

"And he's strong too. He helped Danny Rand fight against Yen Lo Fei. I wanna tell you and daddy all about what happened."

"I can't wait."

Back at Anteiku, Kaneki was ready to set out to the 9th ward for his weekly lessons.

" _Let's head-_ "

 _Wait! Sniff the air._

Kaneki was taken aback by Wolverine speaking up all of a sudden. He did what he told him to do, and he caught a whiff of a familiar scent.

" _It can't be…_ "

Kaneki stepped outside to look around the area. For a split second, time slowed down the moment he saw someone familiar. Someone he wanted to believe was dead. Within the crowd of people going about their lives, he saw her. That same violet hair, the same glasses, the same smile used to lure in her prey.

" _Rize…_ "

Then she disappeared within the crowd.

" _How did she do that?!_ "

 _Follow her. Disaster seems to follow wherever she goes._

Kaneki kept his bag with him as it also had his mask inside. He ran around the area to look for any trace of Rize. Meanwhile, Ryouko continued enjoying her day with Hinami. Until she saw a pair of men interviewing a mother and daughter couple. She sees the little album book with pictures of Hinami's clothes. She assumed they were GCB investigators, and grabbed Hinami by the hand in the opposite direction.

"Mama, we're going the wrong way."

"We have to go now, Hinami."

"But mama, I thought we were going to…"

The two investigators see a mother and her daughter going in the opposite way of their path. The two nodded in agreement to go after them. One lagged behind a little to call his superiors. Ryouko kept on walking with Hinami in tow. Hinami was confused by her mother's sudden silent behavior. The two kept on walking while also trying to outrun the investigators. While Kaneki continued his frantic search for Rize.

" _I can't seem to find her._ "

 _Keep looking. She's around here somewhere. Follow your nose when all else fails._

Hinami caught a familiar scent that compelled her to stop.

"Hinami, we have to go. Hinami!"

"Mama…it's daddy."

Ryouko was confused by what her daughter meant.

"I can catch his scent. He's nearby. I can tell!"

"No way…"

Ryouko was uneasy as to how she didn't catch Asaki's scent, but that did not faze Hinami at all. She laughed in excitement as she ran fast enough for her mother to lose grip on her.

"Come on, mama!"

"Hinami, get back here right now!"

Hinami ran faster than Ryouko could catch up with her. She was so caught up with reuniting with her father that she lost sight of everything around her.

"Hinami! HINAMI!"

"Where are you, daddy?! DADDY!"

Hinami laughed while she ran until she finally got to where the scent ended. It was an alleyway with zero people occupying it. Hinami did not care enough to notice.

"Daddy, I've missed you…"

When she opened her eyes, she discovered to find not her father, but Madou and Amon waiting for her.

"You're not…my daddy…"

Hinami faced two men she did not know. Her mother would shortly join her.

"Hinami!"

Madou spoke to the two first.

"I just love the rain. Do you? Although to be frank, I'm glad this is just a light drizzle. If this were heavy, you wouldn't have picked up his scent."

The two investigators from before took out their guns in case either of them tried anything.

"Can I take a moment of your time, Miss Fueguchi?"

Hinami now felt terror throughout her small body, but Ryouko placed her hand around her shoulder.

"Mama…I'm scared…"

Ryouko kept her composure as she manifested her kagune from her back. It took the form of four flower petals with crimson orbs placed in the middle of each part. She used her kagune to attack the two investigators in front of her. They dodged it in time, with Madou suspecting that the attack was a distraction. She then used her kagune to create a dome around both her and Hinami. Within her self-made dome, she spoke to her daughter.

"Run dear. Run fast."

"But, what about you mama?"

"Don't be scared. Just keep on running until you make to Anteiku. I'll be right behind you."

Hinami cried over the having to run without her mother with her.

"But…I don't want to go. I wanna stay here with you."

She hugged her mother, to which she reciprocated. Her red eyes manifested when she used her kagune to swipe away the investigators behind her.

"Use your Q-bullets, Kusuba!"

"Right!"

The two started shooting, but the bullets seemed ineffective against Ryouko's kagune. hey were soon pushed aside for Hinami to run.

"Hinami, run!"

She eventually listened to her mother's orders. For Ryouko, she looked on in heartbreak seeing her daughter run from her.

"Was that performance supposed to make me feel something? All it did was make want to puke!"

"Just leave us alone!"

Amon readied his quinque for battle. While Hinami kept on running as her mother demanded her to. Hinami would eventually meet with Kaneki as he continued his frantic search for Rize.

" _Damn it! I can't seem to find her! There are more people here than before. It's impossible at this point._ "

Kaneki's search for Rize would soon cut short when he heard a familiar voice in distress. He looks across the street to find Hinami in a panicked state.

" _Hinami?_ "

 _Looks like she needs help._

"HINAMI!"

She hears her name being spoken. Hinami finds Kaneki running to her.

"Kaneki!"

The two eventually met up.

"What's wrong? Where's your mom?"

"She's in trouble! Please help her! PLEASE!"

"Calm down! Just lead to where she is."

Kaneki grabbed Hinami's hand in order for her to lead where Ryouko was. As they got closer, Ryouko was still stalling for Hinami to make it to Anteiku. Madou could tell that she doesn't fight much.

"That kagune is wasted on you. I could tell that you're not used to fighting."

Madou laughed a little at what Ryouko was doing.

"Stalling for time so your precious child could get somewhere safe. Watching ghouls act as if they're human is just plain bad theatre. It's almost laughable."

Both Kaneki and Hinami got closer to where Ryouko was facing the investigators. Madou placed his attaché case on the ground.

"Amon, take a seat back. I got it from here."

"Yes sir."

As he opened it, Ryouko reacted in horror in what Madou's quinque was.

"It can't be!"

"Oh, BUT IT IS!"

Both Kaneki and Hinami finally made it to the scene. Hinami tried to call out to her mother, but Kaneki covered her mouth before she could do so. She even covered her eyes for good measure.

" _What should I do? What can I do?_ "

 _Save her._

" _WHAT?!_ "

 _Save the girl's mother! You know you must!_

" _But…I don't know if…_ "

 _BUT NOTHING! I saw you fight back at the Wing Kong exchange. As well at that ghoul restaurant. I know you can fight! More importantly, I know you can save her mother._

Madou's quinque was the same as Asaki's kagune. For Ryouko, it was horrifying to see. The doves killed her husband, and desecrated his corpse to make their weapon.

"My husband…"

"Oh yes. That's the expression I wanted to see! The holy trinity of terror, hatred, and despair. It's so intoxicating that I can't get enough of it. Let me see more!"

Kaneki looked at Hinami for a moment. He could see the tears flowing through her eyes even though he was covering them. This brought back the memory of his dead other. He tried to suppress the memory, but could not today. In his heart, Kaneki did not want Hinami to suffer the same way he did. He uncovered Hinami's eyes and mouth to talk to her.

"Hinami. Look at me. I need you to say here. Don't go anywhere."

"But Kaneki…"

"Listen to me. I'm going to save your mom, but I need you to stay here. Can you?"

Hinami nodded yes. Kaneki then laid his duffel bag on the ground and searched inside to get his mask. He puts it on as quick as he could, and activates the voice modulator. Hinami looks at him with awe.

 _SNIKT!_

With his claws, Kaneki scaled up the side of the building and ran across the roof to save Ryouko's life any way he could.

"Now don't say I'm not above courtesy. How about it, mom? Any last words for us?"

Ryouko trembled with anger.

"What the matter? No reason to hold back."

But her sorrow was stronger than her rage. Her mouth opened, but no words came out.

"TIME'S UP!"

Madou took a large swing of his quinque, and aimed or Ryouko's head. However, his strike would be immediately intercepted when Kaneki leapt down from the building and used his claws to block Madou's killing blow. The sound of metal scaping was almost heard by everyone within the street. While Ryouko and the investigators looked on in shock, Hinami felt hope manifesting within her. Ryouko whispered,

"Kaneki?"

He responded,

" **Stay here for a while.** "

Madou felt angry at how his killing blow was interrupted by an unknown player.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!"

More memories flowed through Kaneki's mind. It was of Wolverine with a Japanese woman who looked familiar to Kaneki for some reason. He also sees Wolverine being happy with said woman. The last memory that played in his mind was when he lied in the same bed with her one night.

 _flashback_

"When I was a girl, I had nightmares. I'd wake up and run to my parents. My father would get angry, tell me to go back. Face my fears. Grandfather was different. He told me stories about a friend of his. Who he met at the bottom of a well. He said that he was magical and saved his life. He would protect me too, as I slept in my bed."

"Who was he?"

Asked Wolverine as he caresses her face.

"Kuzuri. Do you know what that means?"

"Sorry, but no."

"An animal. A fierce creature with long claws and sharp teeth. It fears nothing. But he was not a monster. If he was, Grandfather would not be alive today. And I wouldn't be here."

 _end_

Madou looks at the claws and deduces that the interloper was a mutant. Amon and the other investigators were ready to take him down at a moment's command.

"I can see you're a mutant. One chance. Walk away. I'll even forget you were even here."

"Not a chance."

"Then before I kill you, what do you call yourself?"

(play _Psycho Siren – Devil May Cry_ )

Kaneki spoke the name he wanted to be called whenever he would wear his mask.

" **Kuzuri.** "

Kuzuri blocked more of Madou's strikes of his quinque with his claws while Amon charged towards the mutant with his quinque.

"DON'T INTERFERE!"

Kuzuri sees this and charges at him as well. Amon gave a straight thrust but Kuzuri dodged it with swift grace as his arm flew a little above Amon's weapon. Amon focused on the arm dodging above his quinque because he believed that Kuzuri was going to punch him with that arm. In reality, it was the other arm as Kuzuri delivered a hard uppercut. Kuzuri focused on taking out Amon as he delivered a series of punches and kicks before grabbing his face by the hand and slamming it against the building wall. Amon was soon rendered unconscious. The other two investigators see this and took offense.

"Bastard!"

The two started shooting at Kuzuri. The bullets land, shocking both Hinami and Ryouko. Kuzuri, however, remained unfazed. The bullets inside of his body were being pushed out of his body, much to the investigator's upset. Kuzuri charged towards the two via a series of cartwheels that he learned in his kung-fu lessons. They didn't seem to possess much physical endurance and opted to give the aging one a punch to the gut, two jabs to the face, and a kick to the chest, leaving the older investigator out of commission. Kuzuri then looked at Kusuba, who took two steps back out of fear of the mutant. Madou felt angry that he was being ignored.

"LEAVING A DEFENSELESS WOMAN OUT IN THE COLD?!"

He swung his quinque one more time at Ryouko.

" _Damn it! I need speed!_ "

 _You got it!_

Kuzuri sped to Ryouko's side, defending her from Madou once more before he charged towards Madou at a speed that not even the dead-eyed investigator could perceive. Kuzuri grabbed him by the neck and slammed him to the wall.

(end music)

" **Go to your daughter! NOW!** "

Ryouko sees Hinami peeking at the scene at a nearby corner. She gets up and ran towards her.

"HINAMI!"

Hinami ran to her mother as well.

"MAMA!"

"Kusuba! Shoot her now!"

Kusuba aimed his gun at Ryouko, but a sharp glare from Kuzuri stopped him from doing so.

"Damn it Kusuba! That is an or-"

Kuzuri punched him in the face to shut him up. For one moment, Kuzuri felt that everything was going to be fine because he stepped up to make it so. Unfortunately, saving Ryouko also made him forget what he was doing before. Just as Hinami was so close to reuniting with her mother, an unknown figure to her got in the way between her and Ryouko. Kuzuri immediately recognized who it was.

" **Rize…** "

Madou also looked at where Kuzuri was looking at. He immediately recognized the woman Kuzuri was looking at.

"The binge eater? Is she with you?!"

She was even wearing the same dress from when they went out on their date. Rize summoned her kagune and stabbed Ryouko in the stomach. The kagune tentacle went in so deep into her body that it instantly killed Ryouko. Hinami screamed out in utter horror.

"MAMA!"

Hinami cried so much as her mother's body limped to the ground the moment Rize removed it from one of her tentacles. Hinami ran to her mother's corpse, calling out to her.

"It's not gonna work, you know?"

Hinami looked at Rize with fear.

"She's dead. No coming back from that."

She then aimed one of her tentacles at her.

"If you miss her that much, I can take care of that."

" **RIZE!** "

She hears her name being yelled. She looks to see somebody familiar. His body shape definitely rang a bell, but the deep voice and the black hoodie almost threw her off.

"Are you who I think you are?"

" **Maybe this will remind you.** "

(play _Dead or Alive – Kamen Rider 555_ at 0:17)

 _SNIKT!_

Rize sees the metal claws and instantly felt rage swelling up inside her. Kuzuri felt the same when she murdered Ryouko in front of her own daughter. The two yelled they both charged at each other. Kuzuri jumped at Rize, but that made it easy for her to grab him with two tentacles and pushed him into the open traffic. As she chased after him, Hinami was still mourning for her dead mother. Then, someone familiar approached her.

"Hinami."

She turned around to hear Touka's voice behind a rabbit mask and a pink wig underneath a hoodie.

"We have to go."

"Touka?"

"It's not safe here."

"But…mama…"

Hinami still cried over her mother. Touka emphasized with her pain.

"I know how you feel. I really do. But the longer we stay here, the sooner the doves will come after you."

Hinami had no choice, but to go with Touka. Leaving her dead mother behind while also taking Kaneki's duffel bag. Kuzuri's crash unto the ground caused a group of cars to stop suddenly. This made the people walking stop to see a masked individual laying on the street in open traffic. Their expressions soon turned into fear as a ghoul woman appeared with her kagune tentacles right in the open.

" **How the hell are you alive?** "

"Don't know, don't care! I just want to KILL YOU!"

Many of them ran with only a few staying behind to film the incident with their smartphones. Nobody had seen a mutant go up against a ghoul in public since the X-Men were active. The fight went on as each opponent attacked each other with absolute ferocity. Rize tried to hit Kuzuri with her kagune tentacles while Kuzuri swiped his claws to cut Rize anyway he could. The people either recording or live-streaming the fight saw the anger the two had for each other. Kuzuri then alternated between retracted and exposed claws as he believed that if he could not cut Rize, he would have to settle for punching her. While the fight went on, Kusuba went to Madou's side.

"Mr. Madou, are you all right?"

"Idiot! You should've obeyed my orders when I told you."

"I…I wanted to sir! But the mutant…"

Madou grabbed him by the shirt collar.

"I don't need cowardly rookies slowing me down!"

He pushed Kusuba back as he got himself up and went to where Kuzuri was fighting the binge-eater. But not before he collected it his quinque and attaché case.

"If you really want to make yourself useful, use that gun of yours to kill the ghoul child."

Kusuba did what he was ordered. He looked around the alley for the ghoul child, but she was not anywhere to be found. The only people he saw were his partner and Amon unconscious on the ground, and the corpse of the ghoul woman Kuzuri saved from Madou earlier.

"Where'd that girl go?"

Rize lunged all her tentacles at Kuzuri, but he was faster than the tentacles could reach. He was even fast enough to get close to her to either punch her in the face or kick her. This frustrated Rize so much that she looked around for what to use to kill Kuzuri with. She spots a nearby car, lifted it with her kagune, and throw it at Kuzuri. He sees the car falling towards him and caught it with his own hands. He struggled at first, but was able to lift it. Rize could see he was busy maintaining his balance, and decided to kill Kuzuri with what he was lifting. She runs towards Kuzuri, and jumps on top of the car he was currently lifting.

" **Rize, stop this at once! You gonna get kill a lot of innocent people!** "

With a crazed expression on her face she responds,

"DON'T CARE! I WANT YOU TO DIE!"

With rapid succession, he hit the underside of the car with her kagune while repeatedly yelling one word.

"MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA!"

The sunshower then became an outright lightning storm, but that did not faze Rize. She continued her onslaught with both the bystanders recording and Madou watching on.

"Perhaps I'll sit back and see how this plays out."

The rain poured heavier than before, and loud thundercracks were heard by everyone. Rize had enough knowledge to know when lightning would strike. She was on top of a metal object, and can see white light flashing behind her. She counted the seconds in between the appearance of the light and the thunderclap that followed while continuing her assault against Kuzuri. When she saw her long hair standing by itself, felt a tingling sensation in her skin, and tasted metal in her mouth, Rize immediately leapt out of the way for the lightning bolt to strike the car Kuzuri currently held. The result was an explosion that hit the part of the car that transferred the gasoline from its tank to the engine.

(end music)

This shocked everyone who was watching within the area. Even Madou felt a measure of surprise when he saw the explosion.

"Despite how I hated him for interrupting my hunt, I feel bad for the mutant."

Rize looked at the fire with a grin on her face and laughed hard and loud.

"FINALLY! That little stain on my life is gone. But…that doesn't erase…"

"Excuse me! You still have one more problem to deal with."

Rize looked at Madou with a skeptical look on her face.

"You, old man?"

"Don't judge a book by its-"

A loud scraping sound could now be heard. The burning car was being pushed aside as Kuzuri emerged from the flames. The rain washed away the fire. Parts of his body were still regenerating, much to everyone's astonishment. His pants still seemed intact while his black hoodie and shirt burned into tatters, to which he ripped them off his body. However, his mask still remained intact and unsinged. Everyone looked on in utter disbelief. None more so than Rize.

"That can't be…"

Rize moved back for every step Kuzuri made forward.

"No one should survive that! You should…"

" **Be dead? Like the last time you tried to kill me? Sounds like you just suck at your job.** "

Rize growled in infuriation as she could not seem to kill Kuzuri.

" **Why are you trying to kill me? You could've run away to another part of Japan or anywhere else in the world and continued to feast on people like you have before.** "

"NO I CAN'T! I can't…because of you! Ever since I ate your flesh that night, my life is hell in a handbasket."

Kuzuri felt offended when Rize said that he made her life miserable.

" **YOUR LIFE?!** "

"YES MY LIFE! I can't eat flesh anymore!"

That last statement caught everyone by surprise. Especially Madou.

"Because of that night, I can't eat what I love more than anything. I went hungry since then, murdering prey but being unable to enjoy my spoils. It's gotten so bad that I was reduced to eating what humans eat!"

" **Most would see that as a good thing.** "

"Do you eat what pigs eat to live side by side with them?! OF COURSE NOT! It's beneath me. I am a ghoul. I eat humans like it's nothing the same way they eat animals like it was nothing. I WAS BETTER THAN THEM! You took that away from me! That's why I want you to die."

Kuzuri, at first, was offended by how she tried to paint herself as the victim of his. She saw her ability to eat human food instead of human flesh as a curse.

 _She knows by now she can't kill you._

" _Then why say all that?_ "

 _Take a look in the mirror._

" _What do you mean?_ "

 _We share the same mind. You think I don't know that you see your healing factor as a curse._

Kuzuri figured out what Rize wanted from all this.

" **You want to die, and you want me to do it.** "

Although the rain hid it, tears streamed from Rize's face.

"I would rather die as a ghoul than live as a freak."

Rize leaped into the air and screamed as she used her kagune to attack Kuzuri. Kuzuri decided not to hit back and just dodged her attacks. Her movements became desperate and sluggish as she wanted Kuzuri to kill her.

"Kill me! Kill me!"

Kuzuri continued to dodge her kagune.

"Don't you hate me?! Don't you want me to pay for what I did to you?! Don't you want to avenge that woman I just killed?!"

Now Kuzuri felt angry when she mentioned Ryouko.

"KILL ME!"

Rize aimed all of her kagune tentacles at Kuzuri, to which he dodged by taking a large leap backwards. The tentacles landed onto the ground and seemed stuck, giving Kuzuri opportunity to clutch Rize's neck and slammed her to a nearby wall. The onlookers continued their filming of the event.

 _SNIKT!_

Rize sees his left hand with claws. For one moment, she believed she would soon be given the death that she desired. She seemed happy. Until Kuzuri missed her head entirely, only cutting the wall near to her head. Kuzuri explained why.

" **Because of you, I was turned into a ghoul for only two days. It was hell for me. You even killed someone I knew. Someone who was a mother with so much love in her. Who worked hard to keep her family together even though the world thought of her as a monster. God knows how many more innocent people you've killed to satisfy your hunger. And now you want to die because you can't stand to be even remotely the same level as the humans you kill for sport. You want to die so badly that you'll go to extremes to have my hands** _ **sullied**_ **with your blood.** "

He retracted the metal claw on his left hand and let go of her neck.

" **No. No, you live with it.** "

Kuzuri walked away from Rize as she languished at his offer of mercy.

 _She's gonna try to kill you again._

" _I can take the pain._ "

As Kuzuri walked away from Rize, she couldn't accept his mercy. For her, it was additional that she felt would destroy her. She summoned whatever strength she had left to attack Kuzuri one last. As she neared him, her head would become swiftly obliterated. Kuzuri felt something splatter on the back of his body. He looked on his shoulder to see blood on it. He knew it wasn't his. He fully turned around to see Rize's body without her head. Then he hears a weapon being retracted. He looked around a little to see Madou with his quinque out in the open.

"I understand you were operating under some sort…hero's code of honor when you decided not to kill her. However, make no mistake, she is a ghoul. They don't deserve it."

Kuzuri now felt anger rising within him once more. This time, it was at the dove who killed Rize for no reason. He walked towards Madou. He tried to defend himself against Kuzuri, but was too slow to act at that moment. Kuzuri then slammed him against the same wall he pinned Rize to, and started to interrogate him.

" **That weapon you used against Rize. It was made out of a kagune that belonged to Asaki Fueguchi, correct?** "

"You mean my quinque? It's standard equipment for an investigator."

The anger Kuzuri had for Madou slowly rose to new heights.

" **Was it you who killed Asaki Fueguchi?!** "

 _SNIKT!_

" **Answer honestly!** "

"He was a ghoul! They all deserve the same fate!"

" **WRONG ANSWER!** "

Kuzuri stabbed Madou on the left side of his body. The loud pained yells were enough to get Kusuba's attention to rush back to his superior's side. He sees Madou being stabbed by Kuzuri. He rushes to the two and pointed his gun at Kuzuri.

"Let him go now! Or I'll shoot!"

Kuzuri maintained his position, unfazed by the threat.

"I swear to god, I will shoot you!"

" **Go ahead! Go f***ing crazy!** "

Kusuba shot Kuzuri multiple times with whatever ammo he had left. The bullets hit his body, but his mask repelled the ones aimed for his head. He remained standing after his body automatically dug out the bullets by itself. The wounds then healed themselves with little blood spilt.

"My god…"

Kuzuri continued his interrogation.

" **Tell me! DID YOU KILL ASAKI FUEGUCHI?!** "

"It…it wasn't me! I swear to god!"

" **SWEAR TO ME!** "

Kuzuri dug his claws in a little further to the rest of Madou's body. The pain became unbearable for Madou to endure.

"I SWEAR IT WASN'T ME! HE WAS ALREADY DEAD WHEN WE DISCOVERED HIM!"

" **Who murdered him?! WHO?!** "

"13th ward's Jason. That's what we call him. It's the truth!"

Kuzuri retracted the claw that was inside Madou. Before he let him go, he asked the dove one more question.

" **Any more you can tell me about this 'Jason' ghoul? Like his real name, what he liked to wear? Anything?** "

"We investigators… don't bother to learn the names of our targets. He did like… to wear a fancy white suit. That's all I know."

Kuzuri let go of Madou, and left the area. Kusuba could only watch him leave as he knew he was powerless to do anything. Instead, he called for an ambulance for his comrades. As well as backup to contain the scene. Madou could only silently anguish in the rain.

" _I wasn't able to get the mother…_ "

He then took a look at the headless corpse of Rize.

" _But I was able to get the binge eater. Call it a draw._ "

xxxxxx

Kaneki ran with his mask for a little while until he knew for sure he was alone. He forgot his duffel bag back where he tried to rescue Ryouko. When he stopped, he attempted to take off his mask. Only to stop when a black SUV parked near him. Kaneki feared that it would be the doves. He was half right

"Kaneki!"

He heard someone speak his name in a Russian accent. Kaneki knew it to be Piotr.

"Piotr?"

"Inside. Now."

Kaneki ran to the SUV and entered. When he got in, he saw police cars rushing by the scene.

"No one knows I am here away from post. You are lucky that I was nearby to find you. Take off mask now."

Kaneki did so right now.

"I have just received orders to locate rogue mutant by superiors from GCB"

Kaneki knew it to be true. A mutant siding with ghouls would make him a pariah to both communities.

 _flashback_

"Mutant society has this unspoken taboo about falling in love with a ghoul. If you decide to fall in love with one, Kaneki, they would cast you out to the human world. And you would feel the hatred that humanity felt for your kind not that long ago."

 _end_

"Did Yoshimura send for you?"

"I actually came because I ward Yoshimura first."

"You mean you knew that both Ryouko and Hinami were being hunted by the doves?"

"Sometime this morning, yes. I alerted Yoshimura about it when I used my access to the GCB database to see which ghouls from Anteiku were on target list. Fueguchi, I immediately recognized. Was I too late?"

Kaneki hesitated to answer, but Piotr knew that his silence answered his own question.

"I blame myself for not taking action sooner."

"Don't. I failed to save her."

"You did all you could. No one could hate you, comrade. Let me take you back to Anteiku."

xxxxxx

(Anteiku)

When Kaneki entered inside alongside Piotr, the café was completely empty. He soon found his duffel bag on one of the tables. He looked inside to find a clean shirt and his old turquoise hoodie.

"I imagine everyone must be together somewhere inside. Kaneki."

"One moment."

He puts them on and walked to where everyone was meeting. He found all of the staff members mourning Ryouko together in one room.

"Kaneki."

Said Touka as she was the first to both say his name and immediately hug him. Kaneki felt awkward for receiving a hug from Touka She also felt the same way as she soon broke it off afterwards.

"I'm…glad to see you alright."

"…Thanks."

Yoshimura then asked him,

"Kaneki, did anyone see you enter here?"

"No. I lost the doves a while back. When I stopped for a little, Piotr was the one who found me and brought me here."

"Is her here with you?"

"Da, Yoshimura."

Piotr entered the room to extend his condolences.

"I am sorry for…"

His phone rang, interrupting him. He desired to ignore it, but Yoshimura understood why he shouldn't.

"Piotr, I understand."

"I am sorry, nonetheless."

As soon as he left, Kaneki asked everyone,

"Where's Hinami?"

"She's in her room. She's still in shock. She even locked herself inside ad won't open for anybody. Except to you, Kaneki."

Kaneki was surprised to hear that Hinami wanted to see him. Yoshimura compelled him to see her.

"Go to her, Kaneki. She needs you more than she needs us."

Kaneki nodded sadly and went to her room. At first, he hesitated to do so as he felt guilty in failing to save Ryouko from Rize.

" _I don't think I deserve…_ "

 _Don't. It's not about what you deserve. It's about what she needs._

Kaneki decided to knock on the door.

"Hinami?"

Inside, Hinami heard the knock but hesitated to get up from her bed. She waited for a little bit to see if it was really Kaneki's voice.

"It's me, Kaneki."

She immediately got up from the bed and rushed to the door. She opened it to see Kaneki in front of her. Tears soon streamed from her face as she hugged him and didn't want to let go of him. She cried as she held on to Kaneki. Kaneki at first felt sad for the way Hinami missed her mother so. Then the memory that he tried so hard to put behind him resurfaced again. The memory of him as a child with bloodied bone claws. His mother, bleeding to death on the floor, and him crying his heart out. He started to cry as well. He kneeled on the floor to Hinami's level and apologized to her.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I failed you. I didn't want to suffer like I did. I wanted her to live so you could be happy again. But…she's gone because of me. I failed you."

Kaneki cried some more. Hinami stroked his head as she said to him,

"You're not a failure. You're a hero. My hero."

She hugged Kaneki as proof that she never thought anything bad about him.

"Stay with me?"

Kaneki dried his tears.

"I'm not going anywhere."

 **Sorry for that downer ending, people, but that's how this anime rolls sometimes. Hell, that's how life rolls sometimes as well. Sometimes it sucks so hard, you can feel the word 'suck' being emphasized on your face. Kaneki tried to save a life, but tragedy strikes when you least expect it. You can't blame him for trying to save Ryouko, that's for sure. In the next chapter, Hinami will be subjected to more suffering. Will Kaneki find the willpower to try again to save her? Stay tuned for the next chapter! Til next time.**


	10. Ch 9

**Hello to all that stayed with us. I really wanted to go back to this story because it's ramping up and I wanted to come to a satisfying end. In this chapter, everyone mourns for Ryouko and try to decide what to do now. Some want to move forward from the tragedy, others want vengeance. For Hinami, she struggles with being forced to stay behind, so to speak. Let's get to it, now.**

Ch. 9 – Closure

Kaneki stayed with Hinami by her side as she laid on her bed. She was close to falling asleep. Before she did, she asked Kaneki a question.

"Kaneki?"

"Yeah?"

"You called yourself Kuzuri back there. What does it mean?"

"It's an animal. A fierce creature with…long claws and sharp teeth and fears nothing. When my mom was a little girl, she would have nightmares. Her grandpa told her stories of the Kuzuri. He was a magical friend who he met at the bottom of a well. He saved his life and would protect my mom. When everyone around him saw the Kuzuri as a monster, he was anything but."

Hinami seemed to fall asleep when her grip on Kaneki's hand weakened. He left the room to join with the others who were currently mourning for Ryouko. When he got there, the loudest one in the room right now was Touka.

"I can't believe this! You actually want her to go there?!"

"I know how it looks, but when things calm down, I think it'll be best for Hinami to the 24th ward."

Touka was seething with outrage when Yoshimura proposed such an idea.

"You're kidding me, right? That godforsaken cesspool? THERE'S NO WAY SHE CAN SURVIVE OUT THERE!"

Yoshimura remained silent on the matter. Internally, however, he was unsure what the future held for Hinami.

"How about we kill the doves and be done with it?! They have it coming!"

"Forget it, Touka."

Said Renji, stopping Touka's line of thought.

"Even if we killed the all doves in the 20th ward, they'll send in more to replace them. Then they'll wipe us out in revenge."

Although Touka agreed with him, she still wanted to take action.

"But still…"

"Drop it, Touka."

"I have to agree with Yomo. We simply cannot make a move against the doves. There's too much on the line."

Said Yoshimura, drawing a line in the sand. Touka, however, just could not stomach the idea of not making the doves pay for Ryouko.

"You're letting them win? They killed one of our own, and you gonna do nothing?! What's Hinami gonna think if she hears that we're just too cowardly to avenge her mother's death?!"

"The doves didn't kill her, Touka."

Everyone heard Kaneki's voice he stepped inside the room.

"Sorry if I was eavesdropping, but I got to make a few corrections. The doves didn't kill Ryouko, Touka. It was Rize. It was a ghoul that killed Ryouko. At first, I wanted to kill her, but when I discovered that she wanted me to because she couldn't eat human flesh anymore, I spared her because I thought her living with shame was a better punishment for her. It was also a ghoul that killed Asaki Fueguchi."

Everyone was shocked to hear Asaki died as well.

"No way. Asaki's dead as well?!"

"That's what that dove told me. He lives in the 13th ward. They call him Jason."

"And you believe that bullshit?!"

"I had him pinned down with my claws. He had no reason to lie."

"THEY ALWAYS HAVE A REASON TO LIE! You can't trust the doves! They deserve to pay for what they took from us. Even if they didn't kill her directly, they caused her death to happen!"

"Asaki was once involved with the wrong kind of people once in his life. He tried to put it behind him for Hinami, but it caught up with him."

"So now you're blaming him for his death?!"

"No. That's not I'm doing. Touka, try to understand. Nothing good can come with what you want right now."

"YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I WANT!"

"I HAVE EVERY IDEA WITH WHAT YOU WANT! I JUST FELT A COUPLE OF HOURS AGO!"

Everyone was slightly taken aback with Kaneki's outburst.

"When I was fighting Rize, I was being filmed while doing it. Yes, I had my mask on, but that doesn't change what happened back then. The reason why is because I interrogated the dove that killed Rize using my claws is because I wanted to kill him because he had a weapon made out of Asaki's kagune. I thought he had killed him but it turns out I was wrong. And now, I have to hide my mutation because being a ghoul sympathizer makes me more of an outcast than I already am! When you look for payback, it blows up in your face."

After a moment of silence, Yoshimura then said,

"The inability to take vengeance isn't cause for sorrow. Instead, pity those who think nothing but retribution and forsake everything for it."

Touka now felt ridiculed for wanting to avenge Ryouko.

"Was that a jab at me, old man?"

Touka left the room as she slammed the door. Kaneki just stood as he felt guilty for not stopping Ryouko's death.

"I couldn't save her. I'm sorry."

Yoshimura got up from his seat, and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Kaneki…you did everything you could. Don't bear the blame."

Inside of her room, Touka just sat on the floor with her rabbit mask laid out. Internally debating whether or not to take action.

xxxxxx

(GCB Headquarters, 20th ward, nighttime)

Amon was cleared to leave the medical wing, but stayed a little longer to visit his partner, Madou. He felt guilty leaving his partner to fight both the binge eater and Kuzuri. He asked the reception desk for his room number, and went there immediately. Once he did, Amon opened the door and was surprised to find Madou hard at work on his bed. Going through some papers about the binge eater.

"Still going at it, Mr. Madou?"

"You know me. Can't stop this hunter instinct of mine."

Amon locates a chair, grabs it, and sits near his partner.

"How's the injury?"

"Doesn't hurt much anymore. Although the morphine drip is a major factor in that."

"Well, it's good to see you in one piece."

"No thanks to that mutant. Has the proper containment procedure already happened?"

"It should. Any and all photos and videos taken by civilians during a mission are immediately contained in the interest of public order."

"Yes…We can't have the people take to the streets like the vigilantes of old, now do we? Especially the powered kind."

"This Kuzuri person is definitely one of them."

"While he is a priority, we can't lose focus on the bigger target. Turns out Jason was simply doing a job in the 20th ward."

"So, we have to assume that Jason has a base of operations elsewhere then."

"If the intel in the reports I've requested are accurate, we may have to check out the 11th ward."

"So, you think Jason might be there? That's Mr. Rasputin's assigned ward, if I'm not mistaken."

"Pretty ballsy for a ghoul to operate on mutant territory."

"Do you think that Jason might be working for that organized movement we've been keeping an eye on?"

"That's what my instincts tell me."

Amon silently growled to that idea.

"I know how you feel. But jurisdiction has always been a cruel mistress. Looks like Colossus will have to get our sloppy seconds."

"Well, at least the binge eater is down. Thanks to you."

"I take great pride in that. That just leaves us the Gourmet to worry about. Personally, I like prey that stay below the radar. Keeps things interesting. Of course, that goes without saying it makes our job that much harder."

"That means we have to pound the pavement."

"I'd love to, but look at where we are."

Amon stood up from his chair.

"Another time then."

"Indeed. Rest up. You may not have another chance for a while."

As Amon almost left the room, Madou says one more thing to his partner.

"Don't forget. Number 745 saw our faces. Don't relax too much. She's more than likely out for blood for the people who tried to kill her."

Amon nodded in confirmation to Madou's warning. As he made his way to exit the building, he saw a child being guided through the place. He looks at the boy and thinks,

" _An orphan?_ "

Outside of the GCB building, Touka was there while looking at her smartphone with her hood on, leaning on a wall opposite to the building. She sees Amon talking with what looked like to be one of her colleagues.

" _So, that's them._ "

She walked to their side of the street to stalk them. She followed them to a ramen stand where the doves looked like they were eating dinner. The owner welcomed them.

"Come on in. What'll have?"

The older investigator gave his order.

"One shrimp tempura and chicken onigiri."

"Why don't you try something new, Nakijima?"

Said Kusuba, roasting his partner's orders.

"I don't want to hear it."

Kusuba explained his partner's mannerisms whenever they came to the ramen stand.

"He orders the same thing every day. What are you getting?"

The owner gave him a ramen dish.

"One large kakiage bowl. Enjoy."

Amon takes the bowl and tries out the dish. He seemed to like it. During his meal, Kusuba asked him a question.

"Amon, you came up through the academy, right?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"I ways wondered, what kind of stuff did they teach you there?"

"Mostly the law and how it pertains to ghouls. Other than that, some weight lifting. Can't go further into detail than that."

Kusuba still continued asking.

"Did you train with any ladies?"

Now Nakijima was getting annoyed.

"Would you quit it, Kusuba?"

Amon still answered the question.

"Two of them. They were as sharp and strong-willed as they come."

Kusuba now felt a little envious, but was more interested in knowing.

"Lucky bastard. Let me guess, you fell hard for one of them?"

Nakijima had it with the way Kusuba hounded Amon with his questions.

"Moron! Knock it off."

Amon still answered, but with a grim tone.

"They were both killed in the line of duty."

Kusuba now felt bad for asking that question.

"Damn. Sorry I asked that."

"That's how it is. The earnest they are, the sooner they get six feet under."

Amon finished his bowl and placed the chopsticks he ate it with on top of the empty bowl. He then stepped out of the stand.

"Sorry I can't stay longer. Take it easy, guys."

"Good work today."

Said Nakijima. Before he left, Amon spoke to Kusuba one last time.

"Before I leave, Kusuba…"

"Yes sir?"

"I heard what you did today. Nice work on your part."

Kusuba felt a little embarrassed over receiving praise from Amon.

"T-T-Thank you, sir."

As soon as Amon left, the two investigators finished their meals and walked together for a while.

"Man! I still feel gushed over what Mr. Amon said to me."

"I also heard that you froze up when that mutant gave you a scary look."

Kusuba now felt embarrassed when Nakijima brought up how Kuzuri scared him into inaction.

"Yeah, but I made him pay for it later! It wasn't my fault that he could heal faster than I could hurt him!"

"All right, all right. Relax."

Kusuba sighed over how he allowed himself to be petrified while helping Amon earlier.

"Still, what Mr. Amon said back there. The earnest they are, the sooner they get six feet under. Was that his way of telling us to not work ourselves to death?"

"Don't be stupid. Not with the pile we got. We got off reasonably light."

"I'm just saying, don't sweat it. The guys at the home office can pick up the slack for us."

"Keep up with that attitude, and you'll stay there for life. The both of us."

Kusuba did not stop feeling enthralled with the life of a ghoul investigator.

"Maybe that's fine. Mr. Amon doesn't seem to mind. From what I can tell, he's just devoted to duty itself."

Nakijima didn't want to argue with Kusuba on that point.

"Can't argue with that."

Kusuba then spoke honestly about how he felt about Amon.

"Honestly, I think he's amazing."

Nakijima placed his hand on Kusuba's left shoulder.

"You still got a way to go before you can even get to where he is."

"I know. When I first started this job, all I wanted to do was to find a safe desk job. After seeing Amon's devotion he brings to the job, I actually want to get off my ass and make an effort. I honestly feel like I can take on all the ghouls in the city myself. It makes me want to work harder now-"

Kusuba then stood silent for one moment. Nakijima stood silent as well, but for different reasons. He felt like something had happened, but his eyes could not perceive it. He did see, however, the blood splattered over the street. Kusuba's glasses split in two before he fell face down to the ground.

"Kusuba?"

Nakijima saw someone kneeling in front of him while also facing the back of said person.

"Kusuba!"

Nakijima assumed the person kneeling was the perpetrator. It was Touka wearing what she wore before to rescue Hinami when Kaneki fought Rize and the doves.

"Damn monster."

Touka ran towards Nakijima, but Amon tackled him in time to save him.

"Don't move! Save your strength."

Touka turned around once again to face Amon.

(play _One Thing – Jeff Williams, feat. Casey Lee Williams;_ play at 0:05)

"Who the hell are you?"

Asked Amon before Touka came back to fight him. The two traded a series of blows before she tripped Amon and threw him across with a powerful kick. As Amon got up, Touka leapt up into the air and activated its kagune. Amon could tell which type it was.

"An Ukaku kagune. It must be a speed type ghoul."

She fired sharp crimson crystals at Amon, only for him to dodge them just in time. Amon avoided more of her strikes with her kagune, but due to Touka's speed, she eventually had the upper hand. Amon soon felt tired fighting against Touka as his back was against the wall.

" _Damn it! I can't let end like this!_ "

Amon held on his will to live and resolve.

" _When your enemy is in front of you,_ _don't hesitate to give him hell!_ "

Touka was close to killing Amon with its kagune. However, a familiar-looking weapon seemed to appear out of nowhere. She sees it and leaps out of the way.

"Well, well, well. Who do we have here?"

Amon hears a familiar voice talking to him. He sees Madou in his inspector attire, walking as if nothing happened to him.

"This is why we inspectors always have our quinque with us."

"Mr. Madou. Shouldn't you be…"

"I let myself out. Yes, I am in pain, but not agonizing. Plus, this little creature is more than what I can handle."

"Yes sir. Thank you."

"Sit back and enjoy the lesson."

As Madou stepped toward Touka, he swung his quinque at the ghoul. She dodged it and leapt into the air, but the quinque had a longer length than it appeared and ricocheted upwards. Touka performed a sort of wall jump to the nearest thing it could stand on. As she looked down on the doves from the power line it stood on, Madou looked on in glee at how acrobatic the ghoul moved.

"You're quite the nimble one! This is going to be fun."

As Touka continued to stare, Madou spoke to her for a while.

"Let me guess, you're a friend of that mother ghoul who got murdered by the binge-eater yesterday, aren't you? Better yet, you're friends with…Kuzuri, right?"

Touka gripped its hands hard.

"Well, let me tell you something about your mutant friend you've probably brainwashed to be by your side…"

Madou unbuttoned his coat and shirt to reveal the injury Kuzuri gave him.

"I got this nasty number from him."

Although the scar had already scabbed over, it still looked fresh from the fight.

"I don't know how you got him on your side, but one way or the other, I'll make him regret having you for a friend. I can't wait to see him again. After all, it's been such a long time since the last _mutant hunt_."

For some reason, this made her angrier than before.

"Really now, I don't even know why a mutant would ever want to be friends with ghouls. I mean, the mother I killed yesterday was so weak and helpless. If that binge-eater hadn't interfered, I would've put her out of her misery!"

The last thing Madou said made Touka spring into action once again as it ran on top of the power lines and into his range. She activated its kagune and tried to hit Madou, but he swiftly dodged it in time.

"You missed me!"

She then got close to him again as she executed a number of punches and kicks to hurt Madou, but the investigator knew what kind of moves ghouls like the one he was currently fighting would do. While he dodged its strikes, Madou talked to Amon like he was giving a lecture.

"Here is a little review, Amon!"

Touka felt offended from being treated like a lab rat while fighting the dove. As she fired more crystals, Madou blocked them with his quinque. The ghoul then tried punching Madou once again, only for him to avoid them further with finesse.

"A ghoul with an ukaku-type kagune will strike with a flurry of attacks that rely on speed and cunning."

So far, her style of fighting was proving Madou right.

"The downside for them is shortage of stamina. If you can sidestep their hits long enough, they slow down and become more susceptible to error."

Madou was further proven right as it became easy for Madou to trip the ghoul with his quinque. As the ghoul stayed on the ground, Madou asked it a question.

"If you did know that mother ghoul, did you know the kid as well? If you do, dear Rabbit, play nice and tell us where she is. Her mother misses her so, and I want to reunite them soon. Of course, I have to kill the girl in order to do it."

Touka then shouted, partially revealing her identity, while charging towards Madou once again.

"DAMN YOU!"

Madou extended his quinque once again to strike Rabbit in the back using his weapon's ricocheting feature. She crashed to the ground with a serious injury.

"All too easy."

As Rabbit laid on the ground, writhing in pain, Madou stands over her and gives her a little speech.

"I've laid many of your kind to death more times than you had to kill off mine to fill your stomach, little Rabbit."

Touka had realized that she could not win today, and decided to retreat. Madou gave chase.

"You're just another notch on my belt!"

With whatever strength she had left, Touka scaled up a power line, and leapt into the horizon. Madou swung his quinque to slay her, but could not due to his quinque reaching its limits in terms of length.

(end music)

Madou sighed in resignation as the fight was over.

"Another day, Rabbit. Sooner or later, I'll have your kagune as my personal plaything."

xxxxxx

(Anteiku, early morning)

Kaneki stayed at the café the whole night, keeping an eye on Hinami. Yoshimura accepted his offer to stay over for her sake. He even offered Kaneki a spare uniform for tomorrow's shift. He was also given permission to sleep on the couch in Hinami's room. As the morning came, Kaneki slept with little problem, and woke up early in the morning.

" _What time is it?_ "

Kaneki had his smartphone with him, and checked the time.

" _Five 'til six._ "

Kaneki silently got up from the couch, but wanted to do something before he got ready for work. He went to Hinami's bed, checking up on her.

" _She's sleeping ok. That's good to see._ "

 _Hard to believe that she had the worst day of her life just two days ago._

" _Don't remind me._ "

 _It wasn't your fault._

" _She's lost her mom because of me._ "

 _Sometimes, life is cruel that way. It gives you one bad day to lose everything. But what separates success and failure is effort. You tried, and that's more than anyone can say otherwise._

Just as he stepped out of her room, Kaneki then heard loud clanging noises from the kitchen. He rushes over to find Touka on the floor, with a wound on her right arm and a can of coffee beans spilt on the floor.

"Touka."

He attempted to approach her, but she refused his help.

"Stay away!"

"Touka, your wound is in bad shape."

"It's my problem, not yours. You got enough on your plate."

"Did you go dove-hunting while you were out?"

Asked Yoshimura, entering into the conversation. Touka tried to hide her injury from Yoshimura. Kaneki implored Yoshimura to heal her.

"She's been injured. She needs medical attention."

"That's too bad. She won't find any help here."

Kaneki was shocked to hear Yoshimura acting so callous at her.

"Sir, why are you acting like this?"

"She disobeyed my orders. And didn't think of the consequences of her actions. She doesn't deserve help from me, from you, or anyone else at this café."

Kaneki was taken further aback by his boss's attitude.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"

Touka ran outside the room and the café itself. Kaneki tried to stop her.

"Touka, wait!"

"Let her go."

For once, Kaneki was on a different page with his boss.

"Sir, I know that what you do, for the safety of those who come to you for refuge, based on your experience. But…I have to do what I think is right. That's how I learn why life for a ghoul is cruel."

Kaneki ran after Touka. Yoshimura could not help but feel impressed at how Kaneki defended his choice to aid Touka however he could. When Kaneki looked all over the café for Touka, he then stepped outside to the back of the café. He sees Touka, sitting near a wall while still struggling in pain. She turns around to see Kaneki with a first-aid kit.

"What do you want?"

"I…brought this to help you."

"I don't need it."

"Touka, you're bleeding."

"So what? It's not your problem, remember?"

Kaneki now felt being a little more assertive in his offer.

"Well, I'm making it my problem."

Touka began to feel upset towards Kaneki.

"Stop annoying me! Go away you damn mutant!"

"I dare you to try and make me!"

Touka almost took him up on that offer, but her injury stifled her from doing so. Kaneki sighed over how stubborn she was being.

"Touka, why did you go after the doves? You already know they didn't kill the Asakis. So, why go after them alone?"

"…It's okay if a killer like me dies out there. But Ryouko was different. She was innocent. The doves treat her and Hinami like they don't even matter! It makes me sick, knowing we count for so little…Like Hinami doesn't matter at all!"

Kaneki understood where Touka was coming from.

" _She knew what she did was wrong…_ "

 _But why she did was no different from what you did two days ago. All she wanted was for the kid to be happy, but the world took that happiness from her nonetheless._

"Touka, I know where you're coming from. You wanted Ryouko to live because she didn't do anything to receive their hate. But you have to realize that although the doves created the circumstances that led to her death, they didn't pull the trigger. They were the ones who killed Rize, the one directly responsible for killing Ryouko. But…if it someone else in that situation, someone I knew and cared about, I'd be devastated to hear that they died. Like Hinami did when she saw Rize kill her mother right in front of her eyes."

Touka lightly gasped to hear that Rize not only killed Ryouko, she did it in front of Hinami.

"Just to makes things clear, I'm also including you in that scenario."

Touka was surprised to hear that from Kaneki.

"Let me help you, Touka. I know you give me a lot of crap, but I still care about you. I'd be sad if I knew you had died."

Touka continued to feel at a loss for words with the honesty Kaneki exhibited. She extended her injured arm to him, and he began to treat her wound.

 _You certainly have a way with words._

" _I was just being honest._ "

xxxxxx

(GCB, 20th ward)

A service was being held for Kusuba.

"We are here in honor of Hayate Kusuba, who gave his life in the line of duty. Let us take a moment of silence in his honor and bow."

Every officer and office worker within the building did so. Including Nakijima, who had bags under his eyes. He stopped for a moment to look at Amon, whom Kusuba admired before his death. Later on, after the service, Amon was being approached by Special Investigator Marude.

"Where the hell is Madou? One of his crew is dead, and he can't be bothered to show up. That's is just like him. Sorry, but if you met the same fate, I doubt he'd show up for your funeral. Kusuba would probably be a full investigator if it wasn't for that incident. What a world we live in."

As he placed his hand an Amon's shoulder, Marude got closer to him to whisper,

"Something big is going to happen in the 11th ward. You'll be called in once the fireworks start. So, finish up with what you got in the 20th ward. before that."

A little after that, Nakijima approached Amon.

"Hey there Amon."

"Nakijima."

"Care for a bite?"

The two went to the same ramen stand they went to yesterday with Kusuba. Nakijima spoke about his deceased partner a little.

"Luckily, he didn't leave a widow. Can't imagine what she'd be going through right now. You know, he looked at you as if you were one of the Avengers or something. A real kind of hero."

"I'm really anything but."

The owner of the shop gave the two their meals, and even spoke to them.

"Here you go. Say, where's that young man with the glasses? He's usually with him."

Both hesitated to answer his question. Nakijima instead asked,

"Could we get some waters?"

"Sure. Three cold waters. Or rather, two."

As the owner gave them their waters, he left them alone for a bit. Nakijima stared at his usual dish of choice.

"I order the same thing every day, usually because it's my favorite. But Kusuba, he usually gives me flak for it. And to add insult to injury, he'd stick me with the bill. And what did I do about it? Nothing. I'd put up with it just for him to shut up."

Nakijima broke down a little when looked back on how he treated his partner.

"I finally got rid of that little prick, and now I'm now eating alone…"

As Nakijima reeled from the personal realization that his petty annoyances with his dead partner now seemed insignificant due to the impact Kusuba made to his life, Amon took his ramen bowl and continuously ate it until the bowl was empty. Nakijima was surprised to see such a reaction from someone who was usually stoic.

"I promise that's Kusuba's memory will live on! I still got a few bowls in me, but I'm flat broke. Can you spot me just this once?"

Nakijima was surprised to see Amon being so earnest to preserve Kusuba's memory in such an awkward fashion. He could not help but admired him for such dedication.

"Why not eat my paycheck and be done with it?"

Some time after that, Amon was in his apartment, doing pull ups for more than an hour. Within his mind, all he kept thinking about was how the ghouls are the one source of why things are wrong within the world he lives in.

" _People that follow a sense of justice, innocent children losing their families, and those who fight to protect the weak…_ "

Amon's anger for the ghouls intensified with every moment that passed.

" _Why do they have to die in order for the world to be a better place?_ "

xxxxxx

(GCB Headquarters, 20th ward)

Madou was looking over some papers before he received a call.

"This is Madou."

"Excuse me, Senior Investigator. You wanted to be notified about any and all information pertaining to 745."

"Yes, that's right."

"An eyewitness had called in. A woman. She says she had seen the subject in question."

"What did she say?"

The receptionist relayed the information, to which Madou wrote it down on a nearby notepad.

 _ **No. 745, Shidehara Elementary School, Waterway.**_

Madou took a moment to ponder on the information he was given. By the time he had gathered all that he needed, the office was closed for the night.

"Using a quinque in there would be difficult. But, factoring the ghoul's keen sense of smell, and the clear connection the Rabbit had with number 745, and now this…What is the bigger picture that I am missing?"

After leaning back on his chair, Madou came to a conclusion.

"So, the Rabbit wants a rematch…I'm more than happy to oblige."

xxxxxx

(The next morning)

In an empty office building, A woman entered inside and into the elevator. She was wearing a black trench coat, and sunglasses. She also possessed long black straight hair as well as faint signs of a scar on her face. When the elevator stopped, the woman would see Victor Creed waiting for her.

"What kept you, Deathstrike?"

She discards the coat to reveal her costume. It was fashioned like samurai armor with a light brown suit that extended past the shoulders and went down to her legs. A red sash was worn in the middle of her body. She also wore a white robe underneath her suit with white long sleeves that flowed whenever she moved her arms. What was noticeable about her body was that some circuitry was attached to her arms.

"I was trying to find the place."

"Well, you sure did take your sweet time. Anyhow, I'm sure you got the intel."

"Yes, he is still here."

"Knew we stayed for good reason. Thing is, he's not alone."

"The incident in the 8th ward, he was there?"

"Yeah, X-24 has both that Rand guy and one of the former X-Men helping him."

"But how did you know for sure that he would stay in Tokyo?"

"I managed to know a guy who may have helped him during that time. Made sure to leave no loose ends, though. And also…"

Victor takes out a tablet with a video file of him fighting Rize.

"I asked to get the video files that the GCB digitally confiscated through headquarters. The hackers back home broke in without a trace."

Deathstrike looks at the video a little longer. She recognizes the mask to be very similar to that of her missing foe.

"He definitely picked up a few things from him."

She said with a slight venomous tone.

"The doves here only recognize him from his mask."

"So, we still have time to capture him? Do you have a plan?"

Victor switched from the video to an unfinished document written by Madou himself.

"This document is a work in progress, but it definitely mentions him. It says that he was protecting a ghoul woman and child."

"Ghouls can have families?"

"Pretty surprising. I know, but eyes on the prize. There's a picture of the girl in there."

Deathstrike scrolls through the document a little to find a picture of Hinami.

"We use her to get to him."

"Very well. But how do we get to the girl?"

"The hackers helped me with that as well. I got them to forge some I.D to get into the GCB coroner's office in the 20th ward. The report also says she's got a keen sense of smell. So, I grabbed this."

Victor brings out a piece of Ryouko's clothing from his coat pocket and gives it to Deathstrike.

"It was what the mother was wearing when she died. It still has some of her scent. If I could pick it up, so can the girl."

"So, we leave the little girl to the doves?"

"I'm here to fulfil a mission. Do what it takes to get it done."

"And that is why you made me call their office?"

"We've laid the pieces. Where they fall, you'll be there to get him."

"Me?"

"I want to, but doc wants me to be more than ready when we get X-24. Hell, I gotta get going for surgery."

"What are they going to do to you?"

As Victor got up and headed to the elevator,

"Don't know, don't care. I want to put this to rest…"

He pressed a button to go down.

"And get some much-deserved payback."

The elevator closed.

xxxxxx

(Anteiku)

Kaneki just came in after being assured by Yoshimura that Hinami would be okay. He went home the previous night to catch up on his homework for college. Then, he came to work in the early afternoon after attending his morning classes. The café was not that busy, but he was still needed. It would not until a couple of hours later that Touka came back from school and helped out. Kaneki was the first one to greet her.

"Hey, welcome back."

Touka stood silent for a couple of seconds before heading for her room to change into her uniform. When she came to the front, she saw Kaneki once again to ask him,

"How's Hinami?"

"Yoshimura says she's fine. I did check up on her by knocking on her door, but…"

Touka grew a little concerned.

"But what?"

"She didn't answer. I chalked it up to grief, but I was thinking of checking on her again."

"No. Stay at the café. I'll do it, and be right back."

Touka walked to Hinami's room and knocked on the door.

"Hinami, it's me."

The door opened to reveal Hinami, still in the same clothes from three days ago.

"Hinami, you haven't changed."

"All my regular clothes are still back at home."

Touka sighed at how unhygienic Hinami must be.

"I'll go and wash your clothes. Your…mom left some in my place for you to wear. In the meantime, take a bath. It'll be good for you."

"Okay."

Hinami did what Touka told her to do. She went to her place to get the spare clothes that Ryouko left her. It was almost the same outfit she usually wears, but the stockings were black, the dress was purple, and the shirt was orange with a chibi bear on the front. Other than that, the sweater was the same design. Touka stared at the clothes for a while before leaving her place, getting to Hinami's room, and placing the on the couch near the bathroom where Hinami was bathing herself.

"Hinami."

"Yeah?"

"I left your clothes on the couch near the bathroom."

"Okay. Thank you."

" _Get better Hinami. Cause I don't know if I can be._ "

xxxxxx

(GCB Headquarters, 20th ward, late afternoon)

Amon was surprised to hear that Madou wanted to go on his own today.

"You sure you want to split up for this one?"

"Yes. The waterway is awfully spacious."

Madou took out his smartphone to check the map of the 20th ward's sewer system.

"I expect both the Rabbit and number 745 to be there waiting for me. Taking on the both of them would be bring a smile to my face."

"If they show up."

"Oh, they'll come. I bet my life on it."

Amon noticed that Madou was also carrying a bag alongside two attaché cases.

"What's with the extra luggage, if I may ask?"

"It's better that you don't know, partner."

On a building across the street stood Lady Deathstrike with a pair of binoculars, spying on the GCB Investigators in charge of the case that Victor assured would bring Kaneki to her.

"Now for the next part…"

xxxxxx

(Anteiku, nighttime)

Hinami was in her room, sleeping on the couch. When suddenly, she caught a most familiar scent.

"Mama…"

In the employee locker room, Touka just finished switching from her work uniform to her school uniform. When she did, Kaneki opened the door to find her.

"Hey Touka. How are you feeling?"

"Just a little down."

"Well, let me know if there's anything I can do to help."

"…I don't think you can."

When she was heading to her place, Touka wanted to check on Hinami before she went back.

"Hinami, you okay?"

She heard nothing from her room.

"Hinami?"

Touka opened the door to see an open window. She feared the worst.

"Hinami! Oh no…"

Out in the street, Hinami followed the smell of her mother, wherever it led her. She followed it in an almost hypnotic daze. Back near the café, Kaneki and Touka searched for the girl.

"Found anything?"

Asked Kaneki, regrouping with Touka.

"No. Nothing here. How about you?"

Kaneki nodded no while he caught his breath.

"Where could she be?"

As Kaneki finally caught his breath, he smelled something familiar. Touka sees this and was curious as to why.

"What is it?"

After sniffing some more, Kaneki knew the smell to be an impossible one.

"Ryouko…"

Touka was slightly scared that Kaneki could smell a dead woman.

"How?"

"I don't know exactly, but I smell her. What are the chances that Hinami also caught the same thing?"

Touka felt scared that Hinami could be walking into a trap of sorts.

"Follow the smell!"

The two ran only stopping for Kaneki to retrace the trail. They eventually stopped to a familiar alley.

"This is…"

"Yeah. This is where Ryouko died."

Touka seethed in anger at remembering how she had to collect Hinami and run to save her life. In reality, she wanted to stay to mourn alongside the girl for her mother.

xxxxxx

Hinami followed the scent to an entryway of the 20th ward sewers. She continued to follow until she stopped to find a small bag. A peek inside reveal a human hand. She was instantly scared as to who it may be. When she finally saw the whole thing, she screamed at the top of her lungs.

xxxxxx

Kaneki was near the sewer when he heard a scream.

" _That has to be her! But where did it come from?_ "

Kaneki looked around to see Touka running towards the source of the scream.

" _Touka. She must've heard it._ "

 _She's not the only one._

Kaneki looked to see who else was there beside her. He sees the investigator who was there when Ryouko was killed by Rize.

" _It's him! From that day!_ "

 _He must be that old psycho's partner. Touka can handle herself. You take care of him. Hope you remembered your mask._

" _Never leave home without it._ "

Thankfully, the hoodie he was wearing has the same design as the one that was burned off when Rize used the elements to try and kill Kaneki after she had killed Ryouko. And within said hoodie was his mask. He puts it on, and activates the voice modulator.

" **Gotta get between him and Touka.** "

Amon was following who he believed to be Rabbit, the ghoul who murdered Kusuba. He sees the way the ghoul moved.

"The way she moves. There's no doubt about it. It's Rabbit."

Amon attempted to run after Rabbit in order to help his partner, but stopped when a familiar looking foe landed between him and Rabbit.

" _That coat. And that mask…_ "

Amon knew that mask belonged to the mutant who knocked him out three days ago.

"Is that you, Kuzuri?"

xxxxxx

Back within the sewers, Hinami sat close to a nearby pillar and clutched to the same that terrified her earlier, silently crying to herself. She would soon be discovered by Touka.

"Hey. You okay?"

Hinami continued to sit silently. Touka grew concerned as to what the bag she had with her contained.

"Hinami, what is that?"

"It's…mama."

Touka felt slightly scared by that answer. She attempts to persuade Hinami to come back with her.

"It's too dangerous here. Let's go back to Anteiku."

"No."

Hinami expresses the sorrow she felt since seeing her mother murdered in front of her.

"Ghouls and the world…don't mix. We can't live like this!"

Hinami's words struck a chord with Touka, as she related to what she felt a long time ago.

"I just want to go…to where mama is. Could you send me there? I just want to see her again."

Touka almost felt like crying herself, seeing who she used to be in Hinami.

"Please let go to her!"

Touka kneeled down to hug her. She returned it in kind. Touka shed at least one tear as she missed Ryouko as well.

"It's going to be okay."

"I miss my mama! So bad!"

Hinami cried as Touka held her in her arms.

"I miss her too."

It began to rain outside Touka heard footsteps within the rising water. She sees the dove who defeated her yesterday. Madou looks at the two girls with a demented look on his face.

"How's that wound of yours, Rabbit?"

Touka felt mad at the sight of him, and was ready for a fight.

"Trying to lure us with false leads was just pitiful."

Touka was clueless as to what the dove was saying.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh come now, don't play dumb with me! Even that mewling child over there could come up with a better plan. For that, you've earned a spanking."

Madou laughed a little before speaking with the girl.

"Like that gift I left you, honey?! I know you must miss her. I've got her so that I could get the whole Fueguchi family! You're all I need."

Touka's anger reached to new heights as her eyes turned black and red, her kagune fully manifested.

"You BASTARD!"

Madou opened his case to ready his quinque for battle. The same quinque that was made from the kagune of Asaki Fueguchi. The scent made Hinami shudder in fear as it was the same scent that led to her mother's death. Madou laughed like a madman as he fought with Rabbit. Touka leapt into the air and lunged herself to the dove, hoping to hit him with a kick. However, Madou blocked the attack with his quinque as the long range of his weapon proved itself a decent shield for ghouls like Rabbit. Touka landed and fired crimson crystals from her kagune only for the dove to block her attacks again.

"Different from the other guppies, aren't you?!"

Touka used the pillars to avoid getting hit by the dove's weapon, which proved itself difficult as it was capable of hitting every angle she could see and think of.

"KEEP MOVING, WASCALY WABBIT! OR YOU'LL BE MINE!"

Touka stopped at where the quinque would hit her, but it did not. It stopped before it could make any impact on her. The quinque's total length was reached as it was tangled around the pillars Touka landed on to avoid its strikes.

"Your weapon can reach any target you want, as long as it has enough space to do it."

Madou was mildly annoyed that Rabbit learned the limits of his quinque. He attempted to reel it in, but Rabbit was too fast for him to react. Madou used his other attaché case as a shield to protect himself from most of Rabbit's attacks, but it did not fare well when she grabbed ahold of him and threw him to the nearest wall she could find. Madou spilled a little blood after the impact. As Madou sat down, Touka spoke to him.

"Do you have any idea what's it's like to be hunted down? To feel confusion, fear, and rage all at the same time when someone you love is taken from you for no good reason?"

Hinami looked at Touka confronting the dove that tried to kill her mother.

"Do you have any idea what that feels like?"

Madou simply gave a farcical grin to her line of questions.

"You monster! Ryouko never hurt anyone in her life, and you people made her death happen. Even if you didn't make it happen, you still felt like she had to die just for being a ghoul!"

Madou continued to treat her anger like a joke.

"There's only one answer for bastards like you! KILL THEM ALL!"

Just then, Madou opened his other case. The result was a violent activation of his other quinque that pushed Touka aside in a painful manner. Hinami sees the dove's weapon. It was hauntingly familiar to her.

"That's right. You recognize it, don't you?"

Madou's quinque moved a little by itself.

"IT'S MOMMY! SAY HI!"

Hinami cried in agony as the despair began to feel too much for her fragile self to handle. Madou laughed manically while he psychologically tortured the small ghoul girl.

"I'M SORRY! I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO SEE HER AGAIN!"

Touka slowly got up to see the horror show the dove had for Hinami.

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

Madou's laughter soon got violently interrupted by the appearance of a woman who used long fingernails to stab the dove all the way through. Both reacted with complete shock over the sight. Madou struggled to breathe during this.

"I have many sins to bear. Some of which I did by choice. But what you are doing…"

The woman looked at Madou with a disgusted look on her face.

"I cannot stand back and look on."

Deathstrike stabbed Madou a couple more times before he laid on the sewer ground dead. Touka was surprised to see a mutant here of all places. Deathstrike looked at Hinami for a while.

"You have suffered enough."

As she began to exit the sewer, Touka wanted to speak to her.

"Wait! You're a mutant, right?"

Deathstrike turned around to speak to her.

"What of it?"

Touka then asked her a question that would determine what would happen next.

"Are you with Sabretooth?"

Deathstrike sharpened her gaze at Touka and extended her fingernails.

"How did you know that name?"

"I now his real name is Victor and he tried to take Kaneki with him. He had two guys with him. I killed one of them before they could do that."

Deathstrike stood silent, remembering the details of the first attempt to capture Kaneki.

"You were the ghoul that killed Wildside?"

Hinami was shaken to hear Touka killing somebody. A mutant, no less.

"Yes, I was."

Deathstrike growled a little to Touka's admission.

"You are the reason why we failed to re-capture X-24."

"His name is Kaneki!"

"IRRELELVANT! We are on a mission to take back what is ours, and we will do by any means necessary."

"So, you were the one who called the doves?"

"I even led that child here to make this happen."

Hinami now felt guilty for letting Kaneki being taken away from her. One of the few people who made her feel safe after losing her mother.

"True, I hated how that turned out, but I have my mission."

Touka activated her kagune to indicate that she would not allow Kaneki to be taken by anybody.

"The moment you make me your enemy would be the last you draw breath. Before out fight, what is your name?"

"My name…is Touka Kirishima. Ken Kaneki is…my friend and I won't let anyone hurt him."

Deathstrike took on a battle pose.

"Mine is Yuriko Oyama. But my enemies and victims know me as Lady Deathstrike."

The two clashed.

xxxxxx

Amon and Kuzuri faced each other in the rain.

"Covering for your rabbit friend?"

Kuzuri said nothing at first.

"As much as I want that second round, I've no time to waste with you. Out of my way."

" **Sorry bub. Can't do that.** "

Kuzuri charged towards Amon to make the first strike. He performed a flying kick to Amon's face, only for him to dodge it by ducking. Kuzuri landed on the ground, and lunged towards the dove with a fist in hand. Amon grabbed the mutant's clasped hand and twisted his arm to incapacitate him.

"Don't mess with me."

Kuzuri discovered that the dove was fighting him with only one hand.

" _He's tougher than I thought. Even more so from yesterday. Still, I can't let that stop me. I won't let him get to Touka._ "

Kuzuri threw himself to the ground to get free of the dove's hold on him. Due to the loose viscosity of the ground, largely in part to the rain, Kuzuri slid himself away from the dove and stood up to face him. He had every intention to fight the dove with everything he got.

 _SNIKT!_

Amon sees the metal claws.

"So, you finally want to get serious?"

Amon opened his attaché case to unsheathe his quinque.

"Fine, but I won't hold back!"

Amon took one big swing of his weapon to make Kuzuri lose his footing. It was more than successful as it got Kuzuri to fall off the edge of the waterway slope. He laid on the ground for a while.

"There's this question that I've wanted to ask a ghoul for quite a while. Problem is, I could never find one that could last long in a fight against me."

" _Great. Loves to hear himself talk._ "

 _Always one, isn't there?_

"My question was this. When you take the lives of innocent people, do you ever stop to think the pain you're causing?"

Kuzuri slowly got up as Amon stood over him.

"This world would be a lot better without them. Hell, your kind have a lot to benefit from their deaths as well. One of your own helped us humans discover the real monsters that exist in the shadows. Do you have any idea the number of orphaned children left behind? The families they destroy with grief? The loneliness that eventually kills them?"

Amon pointed his weapon at Kuzuri, who sat down on the ground staring at him.

"You really want to defend such heartless monsters?!"

" **From their point of view, you're the monster.** "

Amon felt angry when Kuzuri said that.

"What?!"

" **You heard me. When you kill a ghoul, what they feel is no different from what you feel. For what I learned, they too have families. They know how to love. I've seen it for myself.** "

Amon felt his sense of moral outrage flaring up.

"Love? LOVE?! YOU DARE SAY LOVE WHEN IT COMES TO GHOULS?!"

Amon swung his weapon at Kuzuri, which caused him to slam to a nearby wall. Amon breathed heavily a little due to his anger. He eventually steadied himself and spoke some more to the mutant.

"A good man I knew was killed by the Rabbit yesterday. Why did he had to die? Because he was an investigator? Because he was human? BULLSHIT!"

Amon slammed the top of his quinque on Kuzuri's chest.

"He was my friend, and your "friends" killed him for no reason."

Although he struggled to breathe, Kuzuri still spoke.

" **Someone I know can make the same argument. Like you can.** "

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

" **That woman and her child from three days ago.** "

Amon remembered how Kuzuri came to the ghoul mother and daughter's rescue from that time.

"What of it?!"

" **She never hurt a fly, let alone a person! She** **only wanted her daughter to be happy in a world that despised her existence. I didn't think of it as right, leaving that woman to die, forcing her to abandon her daughter…because people like you thought that being a ghoul was a good enough death sentence.** "

Amon thrusted his quinque a little backward, which gave Kuzuri an opportunity to get aside as the weapon almost crushed his chest. The two spared with their respective weapons for a little while before being in a standoff again.

"This world had gone to hell!"

" **Bub, this world has faced all kinds of hell before, and it'll face it again. You just too slow to realize it!** "

Amon took another swing of his quinque and the hit pushed Kuzuri across the wet ground. As Amon slowly walked to the mutant, Kuzuri was deep in thought as to why his motivation for revenge is just as valid as Touka's.

" _Ghouls are what's wrong with the world. Is that really true?_ "

 _A lot of people say that for a lot of other kinds of people._

" _What?_ "

 _When I fought against human opponents back then, some of them believed that mutants were the reason why the world's so screwed up. Hell, find any skinhead and they'll say the same thing for any race they hate for no good reason._

" _But ghouls are different._ "

 _That's true. Then again, you know some ghouls who don't hate humans at all._

" _Yeah. That's right. Ryouko didn't go out and terrorize everybody. And Yoshimura… he wants to learn more about humans and mutants. To see if we can co-exist. He says that he lost a friend, but…_ "

 _Hinami…_

" _She lost her mom to a ghoul. Doesn't her pain count for something?_ "

 _Goes to show that sometimes humans can be cruel to both others…and themselves. The same can be said of ghouls. And mutants._

" _Every person in this world that lives have emotions no different than what the other feels. Why can't they see that? Why can't everybody see that all of us hurt the same way? Why is so hard to feel what the other feels?_ "

(play _Still I Rise – Thutmose_ )

 _Fear. Fear makes us blind. Fear holds us back. Fear…gives way for anger._

" _And that becomes hate._ "

 _And hate…does not go down without a fight._

Kaneki came to an epiphany that gave him a reason to get up.

" _Then I'll fight back. Not against humans, mutants, or ghouls. Instead…I'll fight back…against the hate!_ "

As Amon got closer, Kuzuri finally stood up and said to him,

" **You're wrong. It's not the world that's messed up. It's the people who live in it. Human, mutant, ghoul…we all take part in how it shapes us. Some of us take a path that only leaves behind broken people. But in each of us…is the power to change. Because when you look at it, why the world is so messed up is too big a question to settle with just one answer. All of us share the same burden.** "

Amon was confused by his words, although he did not show it.

"What are you talking about?"

" **Looks like we can only understand each other through fighting. Fine.** "

Kuzuri brandished his claws.

" **I can take whatever you give me. But I won't make this easy!** "

Both Amon and Kuzuri charged toward each other, their weapons clashing as a result.

" _I don't want to hurt him. I want him to see what I see. If I can do that, then maybe there's a way to break the cycle. But…_ "

Amon continued to attack Kuzuri, but he would not fight back. Kuzuri only defended himself.

" _That's easier said than done._ "

Amon was feeling angry by Kuzuri's refusal to fight back.

"Stay down already!"

" **I won't! I can't let you pass. But you won't stop until you've gotten pass me. Seems like we're both all kinds of stubborn.** "

"So, does that mean…?"

" **Yeah. I have to get serious with you. I have to kick your ass so hard that you can't even walk without excruciating pain!** "

" _I need your rage! But…_ "

 _Just enough to maintain yourself as you are. I get it. Now, get him!_

Kuzuri roared for a while before charging toward Amon. Amon used the offensive function of his quinque, which was spinning itself so fast that it could grind its enemies into a dead bloody mess. When his weapon met Kuzuri's claws, it grinded his claws but the quinque seemed to crack. Amon noticed this and backed off.

" _My quinque is almost breaking, but his claws…_ "

Amon sees Kuzuri's claws having no cracks or scratches of any kind.

" _Just what kind of mutation is that?_ "

Amon had no choice put to press on and continued to attack Kuzuri. The quinque and claws continued to clash with each other until Amon's weapon broke into many pieces.

" _DAMN IT!_ "

Kuzuri could see that without his weapon, the dove was just a man.

 _Well, that thing is now junk. But he still wants to go at it._

" _What do I do now?_ "

 _Settle this like men._

Kuzuri retracted his claws and stood in a fighter's stance. Amon sees this as an invitation.

" **Let's settle this.** "

"Yes. Let's."

Amon came at Kuzuri with a swinging punch. Kuzuri dodged it and punched Amon in the gut at full strength. The impact made Amon throw up spit when the punch landed. Kuzuri then dealt a series of punches and kicks to make the dove kneel down and surrender. Amon, however, proved himself tougher than that. He also learned how Kuzuri fights as he studied Kuzuri's moves while taking the hits. When the mutant gave one more punch, Amon dodged it and gave him a right jab straight in the face. He then gave Kuzuri a series of punches of his own until he cornered the mutant and grabbed him by his coat.

"You're mine!"

Amon dealt a consecutive punch to Kuzuri's face. He kept hitting him until the mutant no longer showed consciousness. And yet, none of the injuries left by the punches seemed to stay.

" _He can't seem to stay injured. Fine! I'll just knock him out!_ "

Amon then gave slower but more powerful punches than before. Kuzuri could tell that the dove settled for beating the crap out of him.

" _His punches are getting slower. Either he wants more power in his strikes, or he's running out of steam. If that's true, I need to hit back before he gives me one more._ "

Time seemed to move slower than usual for Kuzuri. He could see fatigue already developing on the dove's face. His movements, sluggish to a more trained eye.

" _That's it!_ "

Kuzuri accelerated his head towards the dove to give a headbutt. He headbutted him with such force and speed that it gave the dove actual disorientation. And yet, Amon still did not back down. Even though he clung to consciousness on a thread, Amon still wanted to fight him.

 _One more ought to do it._

" _Agreed._ "

Kuzuri dealt an uppercut with as much strength as he could muster. With that strike. Amon was finally defeated. His unconscious body laying on the rain-soaked ground. Kuzuri kneeled on the ground to catch his breath. As he looked on the dove, he felt someone's hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see Yomo kneeling beside him.

"Good job. That was a good fight."

" **Yomo…** "

"Catch your breath. I'll take care of the dove."

The rain stopped pouring as Yomo picked up the dove and placed him near a concrete slope furthest from the open sewer.

( _let music on its own_ )

xxxxxx

Touka jumped around Deathstrike to avoid getting pierced with her fingernails, but she was a better experienced fighter than her. Deathstrike knew how to wait for her enemies to come to her, and she could do away with Touka's crimson crystals. Both females kept going at it with each other as Touka kept attacking Deathstrike the best she knew how.

"You fight with swiftness and cunning, but that could only get you so far!"

Touka kept avoiding her fingernails while keeping a close distance to land any hit on her opponent. For one moment, Deathstrike seemed to have made a mistake. Touka saw it as an opportunity. Exactly what her opponent wanted her to believe.

"You are open!"

In reality, Deathstrike performed a sort of feint to distract Touka for one moment to deal some damage of her own. She retracted her sharp fingernails to deal a series of punches to Touka, demonstrating the difference between the two. Then she kicked Touka in her gut hard, slamming her to a nearby wall. Finally, Deathstrike extended her fingernails, but only used three to penetrate her in both her shoulders and her gut. Touka screamed in pain from this.

"I told you this would happen, girl."

Touka felt the pain become unbearable by the second.

"But I will give you a choice. Tell me where X-24 is, and I will make the pain stop."

Despite the pain, Touka continued to show defiance.

"KISS MY ASS!"

"Suit yourself."

Deathstrike moved her finger nails ever so slightly so she can carry Touka with her fingernails while the ghoul was still being stabbed by them. Deathstrike then looked at Hinami, and she looked back in fear. Even while carrying Touka on her nails, Deathstrike was still fast enough to chase after Hinami, and capturing her by doing the same thing she was currently doing to Touka. Hinami screamed in pain.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!"

While still carrying her, Deathstrike dug her nails into a nearby pillar to effectively pin Touka.

"You know what it is you must say to make this stop."

"Don't Touka!"

Touka was surprised to hear Hinami talk despite the pain.

"Don't let them take away Kaneki!"

Deathstrike slightly tightened her hand for the nails to move inside of Hinami. Touka looked at Hinami struggling with the physical pain.

"Please let her go. She's suffered enough."

"I know about the incident with that ghoul those at the GCB called the binge-eater. X-24 called her Rize."

Touka was stunned at how she knew about the incident that led to Ryouko's death.

"Who was she?"

Though she writhed with the pain, Touka told her,

"She was… a ghoul. More than that, she was…a predator. She was the kind of ghoul…who lived for the hunt. She spotted Kaneki as…just another notch."

"So why care for X-24? He is a mutant. Don't your kind hate mine?"

"Why do you want Kaneki?! What did he ever do to you?!"

"It's not about what he did to us. He simply belongs to us."

"Belong?!"

"He is our weapon. Our property."

Touka was now angry for another reason.

"Property?! He's a person. He has feelings, and a life."

"He was not meant to have a life. He was designed to deliver death."

Deathstrike dug her nails a little further more into Touka, which caused her further pain.

"Death? Is that all you people care about? You wouldn't say that if you were in my shoes. What's wrong with having a life? Especially if that life could be used to make others feel safe? To making a kind of difference that could change in how the world sees you?!"

"Why should it matter if he lives or dies?"

Touka admitted to one point she could agree with her enemy with.

"It's true. I do hate mutants. I hate that your people get to have mercy from the humans while I get none. But…Kaneki is different. He annoys me, but that doesn't stop him from caring. He's so clueless, but that doesn't stop him from trying to help. He's even the kind of…"

"Kind of what?"

"The kind of dumbass who would miss me if I die. And that's just it. I don't want to eat humans, BUT HOW ELSE ARE WE SUPPOSED TO LIVE?! We can't! We need to eat human flesh to live. Otherwise we die. I DON'T WANT TO DIE LIKE THAT!"

Deathstrike felt a little sad of the ghoul. But it was not enough to deter to finishing her off.

"Death comes for us all. It will come for you. It will come for me."

Deathstrike flung Hinami to the ground as she continued to pin Touka to the pillar. She then extended the fingernails on her free hand to longer lengths.

"It will even come for this child!"

Touka looked on helplessly as Deathstrike was ready to kill Hinami to make her point. However, what would happen next was something no one would see. Deathstrike's free arm flung into the air for a while before crashing into the water. She screamed in pain as she let go of Touka. She looked around to discover Hinami's kagune manifesting by themselves. It was a mix of her father's and her mother's. Her wounds healed by themselves while she covered her face in distress.

"Stop! Don't hurt Touka anymore!"

She wept over what was happening in front of her. The anger, the hate, and the sadness overwhelmed her to tears.

"AND DON'T KANEKI AWAY FROM ME!"

Her kagune responded to her emotional distress as it stabbed Lady Deathstrike first before flinging her into the air and repeatedly hit her. All of which was incredibly painful for the mutant to bear. Then the violence stopped for a moment as Hinami mentally calmed down for a moment. Deathstrike struggled for a moment before realizing she was finished. She could feel the hatred that was welling up in the child.

"Well, aren't you going to kill me?

"I can't."

"Why not? I deserve it after hurting both you and your older sister."

Touka was mildly taken aback after being mistaken for being Hinami's big sister.

"I don't care about that. I don't care about revenge."

"Why?"

Asked Deathstrike, curious about Hinami's decision.

"Because…Kaneki didn't."

Touka remembered how stayed behind to see the fight between Kaneki and Rize.

 _flashback_

Both Touka and Hinami ran away from the doves through the alley of the 20th ward, hoping to lose their trail. Touka, in her disguise, looked back to see no one chasing after them.

"I think we're safe. Stay here."

"But Touka…"

"I'm going to keep an eye on Kaneki. Make sure he gets out safe. You stay here. Let no see you."

"Okay."

Touka wall jumped to the building roofs and ran toward where Kaneki was fighting Rize. Little did she know that Hinami saw the fight where no one could see her. She saw how Kaneki moved like how he described it when he told how what happened at the 8th ward. For a while, it was enough to forget the death of her mother. Touka also saw the fight and felt some measure of catharsis for every strike Kaneki dealt to Rize. Until Rize threw a car at her. Hinami now felt scared that Rize was going to kill Kaneki and rushed to save him. Touka saw her and immediately leapt to where she was to stop here.

"Hinami, what are you doing here?!"

"Kaneki's going to die, Touka!"

"You can't-"

A huge bolt of lightning struck the car, leading the two to fear the worst. Touka continued to hold back Hinami as she was hysterical to losing Kaneki the same day she lost her mother. Only for the image of Kaneki pushing the flaming car aside and recovering from the burns. This calmed her down, as it did Touka. Then, Kaneki had Rize pinned down to the wall and was primed to give a killing blow. Instead, he spared her and explained why. Although still in grief, Hinami saw Kaneki that day as her hero. Touka also sees this, but was confused by the whole thing. When she saw the dove, Madou, give the killing blow instead, she grabbed Hinami and ran to Anteiku as fast as she could.

 _end_

Hinami continued to cry as Lady Deathstrike looked on. She remembered how her father scarred both her and her two brothers, only for them to meet death some time after. She remembered how her lover committed seppuku in service of her father. She also remembered how she challenged Wolverine to combat, only to fail. He looked back on how Weapon X made her body into a weapon herself. When she heard that the Wolverine had died, she felt absolutely distraught. All those moments led to her critically injured by a ghoul child. Two questions came to her mind.

" _Why did I let this happen? What did it all mean?_ "

"Why cry?"

"I'm sad. I can't help it. I miss my mama. I miss my daddy. I miss them more and more every day. It won't stop hurting…"

Tears continued to stream from her eyes.

"Get used to it."

Hinami stopped for one moment to listen to Deathstrike.

"That pain will never leave you. It will follow you all your life. It will shape you."

Hinami then asked her,

"Why? Why do you want to take Kaneki away? He's not a weapon. He's my hero, and if you take him away from me, I'll be lonelier. I'm already alone because mama and daddy are dead, and now Kaneki is going away…"

Although she felt a measure of guilt, Deathstrike got up and slowly walked toward Hinami was she was still crying with her head looking at the ground. Touka shuddered in fear as she was still too injured to move.

"I do what I do because…"

She raised her only hand at Hinami with the intent to kill.

"I am a weapon as well. I, too, am property."

Then, very unexpectedly, Lady Deathstrike was swiftly decapitated by a familiar looking weapon. Hinami looked up to see a headless woman standing in front of her. She screamed at the sight of it.

"OH WOULD YOU SHUT UP ALREADY?!"

Both looked to see the gangly-looking dove crawling on the ground while holding on to his quinque. Touka was at a loss for words as to why a dove would save a ghoul.

"Don't read too much into it. I simply wanted revenge for the way she tried to kill me. True, she got me good. Don't…"

Madou coughed up some blood before continuing to speak.

"Think I'm going to make it."

Madou laughed a little before coughing some more.

"Well, this went to shit. Turns out I was trap fodder as well. What a crock…"

Madou then spoke to Touka.

"That speech of yours…Do you really believe that…ghouls really deserve to live? Don't make laugh…"

Madou laughed a little more before he coughed up some more blood.

"Then again, perhaps the same could be extended to mutants as well. I know why the binge-eater went after Kuzuri. She ate his flesh for some reason, and because of that, she could not eat human flesh anymore. She could've…passed for human…if allowed to live."

He then looked at Touka.

"You ate his flesh as well, didn't you?"

Touka shuddered as the dove guessed correctly.

"Ken Kaneki…Wolverine's little bastard…"

He coughed up more blood before speaking further.

"That mutant…is going to turn our world upside-down…"

He then began to wheeze as he breathed.

"And I never got to confront him for…failing to…properly rescue…hhheeeerrrrr…"

Touka and Hinami looked on to see Madou die in front of them. Touka approached his corpse and focused on his hands.

"White gloves. Were you so disgusted with us that you couldn't touch us?"

She removed one of his gloves to reveal something that shook her to her core. Upon seeing his exposed hand, Madou's corpse wore a wedding band. The heartless monster that tortured both her and Hinami for his sick pleasure, the bastard who delighted in desecrating ghouls for their kagunes and making them into weapons, had some who loved him so much that she committed her life to him. They way he cursed the Wolverine in his last words indicated that he must have crossed paths with him at some point in his life. Questions ran through Touka's mind alongside a growing sense of intense guilt. She got up, nonetheless, and held Hinami's hand.

"Let's get out of here."

Both left behind the corpses of the dove and Lady Deathstrike. As soon as they got out, Touka and Hinami were greeted by Yomo and Kaneki.

"Hinami!"

She hears her name being shouted by someone she wanted to be close by to very much. Hinami ran to Kaneki and hugged him with whatever strength she had left in her. Kaneki hugged her back as he lifted her.

"Let's get out here before anyone else comes."

As they left, Kaneki looked back for a little while to see Touka staring into the sewer.

"Touka. Something the matter?"

She turned around and walked ahead. As they did, Hinami asked Kaneki a question.

"Kaneki?"

"Yeah?"

"You won't leave us, won't you?"

"I'm staying right here. For as long as you want."

Hinami gripped on to Kaneki a little tighter as he carried her. Touka looked at the two, mulling on how Kaneki was described this night. She remembered the dove calling him someone's bastard. Oyama called him property. She called him an annoying dumbass. Ultimately, she agreed with what Hinami called him.

" _A hero…wonder what that's like?_ "

xxxxxx

Amon slowly got up as soon as he regained consciousness. He sees that the rain had stopped and the night sky was clear.

" _I'm alive…_ "

He then remembers what he was outside for.

"Mr. Madou."

He runs to the open sewer where he last saw Rabbit heading towards. He arrived and entered the sewers. After walking around for a while, he finally sees a familiar looking corpse. His partner, dead, in a sewer. At first, he stood emotionless. Then he kneeled to carry his deceased partner and shut his eyes closed. He cried for a minute until he screamed in agony over the death of Kureo Madou. Close to the open sewer, Victor Creed sees where Lady Deathstrike met her end. He brings out his flip phone and makes a call.

"This is Creed. Oyama is dead."

…

"I agree. This has gone on long enough. Time to bring in the whole team."

 **And just like that, we are done for now. Next chapter will a be a filler arc that will end the first end of the Weapon X storyline. After that, we resume the anime storyline. Got to tell you, this has been quit the emotional tour-de-force for the characters. If any of you were hoping that Kaneki keeps his promise to Hinami, if you remember the anime, you know what happens next. See you next time. Don't forget to either review or share with your friends if you like this fan-fic. Catch you later!**


	11. Ch 10

**Good to see you all again. Welcome back to another instalment of Kuzuri. Today's chapter is a filler arc that will conclude the first half of the Weapon X story arc. When will the second half finish? When we get to Route X. What is Route X? I'll explain more in detail when we get to the conclusion of this fan-fic. For now, let's focus on today's story. Kaneki decides to get some answers about not just the mutants that keep hunting him, but the doctor that implanted ghoul organs in him for some reason. Little does he know that search opens up an emotional can of worms. Let's get started!**

Ch. 10 – Subject

Amon just left the service that was in honor of his late partner. When the service was done, he steps out while wearing a black suit and carrying a small bouquet of flowers. While he headed for the graveyard where he was buried, he was greeted by one of his deceased partner's colleges.

"Amon! How you doing?"

He recognized him.

"Investigator Shinohara."

They were both about the same height, although Shinohara was slightly muscular than him. However, he possessed a friendly demeanor that complemented his welcoming presence. A trait that would never seem to vanish, even while ghoul-hunting. What was distinguishable about him was his hair. It was neat, but the front of his hair was fashioned after a liquid drop from an upside-down surface.

"Hey. Been a while. How're you holding up?"

"Not too bad, all things considered. You here for the service?"

"Actually, I came here to see you."

Amon was confused as to why Shinohara would.

"Who's that for?"

Said Shinohara, pointing to the flowers Amon was carrying.

"They're for Mr. Madou."

"Sorry for asking. I know how his loss is devastating. He really was one of the best we ever had. Still can't believe he's gone."

Amon had a sullen look on his face before he composed himself in front of his superior.

"Anyhow, what can I do for you, sir?"

"It can wait."

"You sure?"

"Absolutely. Go and see Madou."

Before he left, Shinohara said one more thing.

"By the way, something you should know. He was proud of you. He believed you did good work."

Amon got a little emotional that Madou thought so highly of him.

"And I feel…the same. He was… one hell of a partner."

Later in the afternoon, Amon stood over the grave of his dead partner, Kureo Madou. As he stood, he remembered the day he had him for a partner.

 _Five years earlier_

A group of senior investigators all look at a Kotaro Amon, fresh from the Academy. They look at his young, eager, and bashful self with bemused expressions.

"Kotaro Amon! I've been assigned to Division 1. It's an honor to meet you and to join your ranks."

He takes a quick bow. After that, he looks around his seniors and they continue to look at him the same way. Until another, more famous face shows up.

"I see the fresh crop is looking good this year."

Amon sees another Investigator approaching him. He wore a pair of glasses and had pure white hair.

"S-Special Investigator Arima."

"I've heard great things about you in the academy, Amon. I look forward to your work."

"Th-Thank you very much, sir."

"You'll be working under Mr. Madou. One of our best."

"Yes sir."

One of the investigators commented on the new recruit be partnered with Madou.

"You're pairing the rookie with him? Them's the breaks."

Another one talked to Amon.

"Just don't let him talk you into anything crazy."

Just then, Madou arrived to see his new partner.

"Good. You've arrived. Mr. Madou, this is Kotaro Amon. your new partner."

"Hmm…He'll do nicely."

Amon looks at Madou and sees how off-putting he looked.

"Shall we shake hands and seal the deal?"

"…Yes sir. It's a pleasure to work with you."

The two shook hands as a symbol of the beginning of their new partnership. Later on, the two went on patrol. The two went to a public park and spoke about the case along the way.

"So, the ghoul we're looking for is called Applehead."

"Yes. 50 victims in the past year. I say she's had more than her fair share of the forbidden fruit."

"Do we know any suspects?"

"Just one. We're approaching her now."

Amon sees ahead of him an elderly woman. She looked sweet, nurturing, and blissful as she fed birds. No indication of somebody guilty.

"Her?"

"Kie Muramatsu. She's been spotted at several crime scenes."

Madou sees the look of disbelief on Amon's face.

"Surprised? Didn't know that ghouls can grow old like the rest of us?"

Amon stood speechless for a while.

"There's no doubt in my mind that our sweet old ewe is actually a wolf in disguise."

"How can she?"

"Instinct, rookie."

Amon was taken aback by such an answer.

"They're nothing to sneeze at. I trusted mine all my life, and here I stand."

Madou laughed a little as he approached the suspect.

" _Can't believe I'm stuck with that…nutjob._ "

Amon followed his partner to talk with Kie.

"Pardon me, ma'am?"

She looked at the two men.

"Hello, gentlemen. What lovely weather today, isn't it?"

"Why yes, it is."

Replied Madou in a friendly manner.

"Mind if we ask you a few questions?"

"My, whatever for?"

Amon continued to feel no suspicions about Kie.

"We're from the police, and we're here to ask you about a few incidents where you were seen."

Amon was confused as to why Madou did not say that they were really from the GCB.

" _Is he really serious? Does he believe that this sweet old lady is a ghoul?_ "

"We've noticed you being at a few scenes from the month of July to this one."

"Well, that was just plain curiosity, officer. That's all. I apologize if it raised any suspicions."

Amon believed her, and so did Madou. Seemingly.

"Well, I believe that's all. Allow my partner to help you with anything you need help with today."

Amon almost asked him why, but Kie spoke up before he could.

"Well…I could use some help with these."

She pointed to the luggage she had with her.

"Very well. Just one moment with my partner."

Madou walked to get some distance between Kie with Amon following.

"Sir, why did you say that we were from the police instead from the GCB?"

"False sense of security. It'll make the hunt easier if she doesn't suspect a thing. I want you to help me by making her believe that we're over-eager police officers."

Amon had his doubts.

"Just roll with it. please?"

"Whatever you say, sir."

Amon walked back to Kie to help her with her luggage.

"Thank you kindly, young man."

"No problem, ma'am."

Amon decided to humor his partner's tactics. However, as he continued to help the elderly woman, he felt surer of the fact that that she could not be a ghoul.

" _Crazy old fool. It feels like he doesn't take the job seriously. How the hell did he even become an investigator in the first place?_ "

He looks at Kie, and she looks back with a smile on her face.

" _I mean really! This sweet old lady, a ghoul? He's full of crap._ "

"I feel like such an inconvenience, having you help me like this."

"It's no problem, ma'am. Happy to help."

As they walked further, the two eventually walked into a tunnel.

"I must admit, this thing is awfully heavy. How'd you manage?"

Amon slightly balked at the sight of dripping blood emerging from the luggage. Kie sees this, activates her red eyes, and used her kagune to attack Amon. He gets pushed aside, and sees a kagune emerging from Kie's back.

"What the-?"

"Since you were so nice, I'll gladly tell you. I eat well!"

Amon was absolutely shocked to see a sweet elderly woman turn out to be a bloodthirsty monster. He dodges her attacks while reeling in from the nasty surprise. She was fast and nimble enough to almost hit him, with one strike Amon blocked with his steel attaché case. He attempted to bring out his quinque, but the impact of Kie's attack shut the case so tight that it was stuck.

" _Can't believe this is how it ends…_ "

Just as Kie went in for the kill, she was thoroughly decapitated by Madou.

"Lesson number one, rookie. Anyone can be a ghoul."

Amon sees Madou standing at the other end of the tunnel with his quinque out.

"Mr. Madou…"

He took a deep breath as is partner came to his side.

"I'm sorry I doubted you, sir."

"Don't be. You did your part splendidly. You got that ghoul right where we needed her to be. Your heart's in the right place, but you still have a lot to learn."

He offered his hand to Amon to help him get back up.

"Lesson number two. When your enemy is front of you, don't be afraid to give them hell."

Amon took that lesson to heart.

 _end_

As he laid the flowers in front of his grave, Amon spoke to his partner.

"I failed you, Mr. Madou. I let myself be distracted. Because of that, I wasn't there for you when you needed me."

As he left the graveyard, he spots a young woman passing by him. He sees her dressed in a professional manner, but her white-blond hair got his notice before he went on his way.

xxxxxx

(Anteiku)

Things were lively in the café once more as the place was full of customers enjoying their coffee. The channel the TV was on was local news.

"In a gruesome scene last night, several bodies, many of them identified as mutants, were found in the 11th ward. The GCB has issued a statement that all mutant residents within the ward are to stay in their homes after dark for their safety. They are also treating this as a ghoul-related crime. Many sources comment on a ghoul militant group emerging within not just the 11th ward, but also at the 8th and 15th. The GCB denies this, stating that they have obtained no evidence to the matter _…_ "

Kaneki was finishing up with his shift, delivering a bag of coffee beans to the front. When he got out, he hears his name being spoken.

"Kaneki!"

He turns around to see Hinami in a makeshift disguise of her own making. She was wearing some clothes that Touka let her borrow while also sporting a long black hair wig and a pair of sunglasses.

"Hinami, is that you?"

She took of her wig and sunglasses shortly.

"Yep. You guessed it."

"Wow. Almost didn't recognized you there."

"I borrowed some of it from Touka. You remember what we're doing today, right?"

"Doing some shopping, right?"

"Hm-mm."

Just then, Kaneki sees Yoshimura with a cockatiel on his shoulder. He meets the two when he stepped out of his office.

"Kaneki, are you almost finished?"

"Yes sir. Just finishing up before I get changed."

"Very well. Get to it."

As soon as Kaneki was done with his shift, he quickly got dressed and went out with Hinami to shop for a birdcage for Hinami's pet bird. As the two exited the café, Kaneki recounted what happened between the aftermath of Ryouko's death and now.

" _It's been about a month since we lost Ryouko. Little by little, Hinami regained her smile. It was decided that she would stay with Touka, but she often asks if I was around. It's fine that she does. Of course, having a pet around doesn't hurt. She told me how she got Hetare._ "

 _flashback_

Hinami was still feeling down after losing her mom. She passes the time seeing the rain fall from the sky. Until she also sees something else drop within the rain. She opens the sliding glass door and picks it up to see what it was. A cockatiel with a star on one of its wings. She looks at the bird on her hands sadly as it was still. Until it slowly started to move by itself. When it did, she felt happy at first until she started to cry.

 _end_

" _Little by little, things are beginning to feel back to normal. But…some wounds still take time to hear._ "

The two eventually pass near the alleyway where the tragic events of Ryoukou's death occurred. She tries her hardest to maintain her composure, but steadily failed.

" _But, there's no denying it. Hinami was still scarred by what had happened._ "

It was only when Kaneki held her hand that she felt some strength returning to her.

" _For her sake, I was determined to help her regain any joy in her life. That was when Yoshimura made a decision for her future._ "

 _flashback_

"Hinami, your mother wanted to do something…really special for you."

"For…me?"

Asked Hinami, curious as to what Yoshimura was talking about.

"She wanted you to attend school."

She gasped when she heard what her mother wanted for her.

"In order to do that, you would have to eat some of Kaneki's flesh."

Hinami squealed when Yoshimura told her that she would have to eat some part of Kaneki.

"Hinami, let me explain. It's not painful, and Kaneki would definitely recover."

"I know that. I saw how he came back from that…explosion…"

Yoshimura went on with the point he was making.

"I know. What I am saying is this. If you eat Kaneki's flesh, you would go through a special type of mutation."

"I have to become a mutant to go to school?"

"No, you don't. Rather, his flesh will allow you to eat human food. And if you eat human food with no problem, you'll be able to go to school and fit in with the humans around you."

Hinami was amazed by the idea Yoshimura presented her.

"Am I…the only one?"

"No. Touka can also eat human food as well, thanks to Kaneki."

"Wow! Okay, I'll do it."

Yoshimura smiled when accepted his offer.

"Wonderful."

 _end_

" _After resting in bed with a fever for a full day, she could eat human food with no problem. At first, we were worried about if she would survive. Once we discovered that fever reducer pills could help her get through it, she was up and about with no problem. So now, I'm helping her get a happy life however I can._ "

The two spent the day in the ward's shopping district. First, they went to a pet shop to retrieve a birdcage for Hetare. They found one that was both comfortable and affordable. After that, they went for a clothing shop to find the uniform for the middle school she was heading to.

" _We decided that Hinami would go to middle school to catch up on her primary education. Myself, Touka, and Nishiki volunteered for the job. Although Nishiki was reluctant to do so. Touka, however, didn't hesitate. And neither did I…_ "

After they found the uniform, Hinami tried it on. It was a simple sailor girl uniform. Primarily white and blue with a red ribbon on front.

"How do I look, Kaneki?"

"You look cute."

He gave a double thumbs up after that comment. Hinami felt glad when she heard it. After getting the shoes that went with the uniform, the two decided to go to a nearby diner. When they entered, Hinami took a large whiff of the smell inside.

"Kaneki, what am I smelling?"

He smiled a little as he found it adorable at how new human consumption was to her.

"That is food. Why don't you let me handle your first meal?"

She nodded to Kaneki's offer. The waited for a while for an available table. When one was finally open for them, the waiter introduced himself as he gave them their menus.

"Hello, and welcome to Joseph's. I will be your waiter. If you need me, call me by my name."

Kaneki took a good look at their waiter. He had mid flowing blonde hair, but what stood out were his elf-like ears. Nevertheless, he warmed up to the waiter a little.

"And what is your name, exactly?"

"Kyle. Kyle Gibney, sir."

"Thank you."

As Kyle left, Hinami said to Kaneki,

"He seemed nice."

"Yeah, he was."

 _You need to get out of here. Now._

" _Why?_ "

 _Kyle Gibney is a guy I used to "work" with._

" _You mean…like Victor?_ "

 _Exactly._

Kaneki hid his teethed scowl behind his menu as to not make Hinami worried.

" _Okay. What the hell is your connection with these people?_ "

 _All I can tell you is that they're not nice at all._

" _That's not enough! These people are after me for some reason I don't even know about. I can't have this now! I'm trying to help her move on from what was the absolute worst day of her life!_ "

 _Don't you think I know that?! More importantly…do they care?_

Kaneki mentally sighed as he decided to help with his internal hallucination of Wolverine.

" _Are there any more of his…friends?_ "

 _Your eyes are my eyes. Look around. Stop where I tell you to, but only for a second._

Kaneki did so as he looked around the diner for anyone familiar to Wolverine. So far, nothing set him off.

 _It's just Kyle, then._

" _So what does he want?_ "

 _Nothing good. For now, play along with the kid. Like you said, help her to move on._

"Kaneki?"

He snapped himself back to reality when Hinami called him by his name. She looks at him with confusion.

"Sorry, what was it?"

"Did you…decide on anything?"

"Oh…um…Give me a little bit of time."

As Kaneki continued to look at the menu, he also looked at Kyle whenever he was in view. After five minutes, Kyle reappeared at their table.

"Can I get you any drinks before we order?"

"Two cokes, please?"

"Gotcha, chief. And your orders?"

"Two steak meals with mash potatoes and corn for sides."

"Bowl or mini-cobs?"

"Mini-cobs sound good."

Kyle wrote down their orders on his notepad.

"Alright. Your meals should be ready in 20 minutes or less. Don't worry. Your food is in _safe hands_ if you play nice."

Kaneki picked up on the subtle threat Kyle made.

"I…appreciate that."

"Here in Joseph's, quality is a promise. I get your drinks now."

Once he left, Kaneki then told Hinami,

"I got to get to the bathroom. I'll be back soon."

"Okay."

Kaneki got up from his seat, went to the men's room, and sat inside of a toilet stall. Inside, he got into a very external conversation with Wolverine.

"Okay, talk! Who the hell was that who just threatened me to behave?"

 _That was Kyle Gibney. Also known as Wild Child._

"Why the hell was he here?"

 _I imagine for you._

"Him and that group of mutants, right?!"

 _They're called Weapon X, an underground science group dedicated to studying mutants. Albeit not for educational purposes…_

"What do you mean by that?"

 _They want to study the X-gene and weaponize it._

Kaneki slightly gasped at the last thing Wolverine said.

"Weaponize?"

 _Make weapons out of people. They tried to do that to me at one point._

"Hasn't anyone stopped them?"

 _Some have tried, but some of the people that work there are like cockroaches. What they want with you…well, look at your claws._

Kaneki kneeled down as the one memory he wanted to suppress clawed its way back into his mind despite his best efforts to keep it in the dark.

"Why…?"

 _FOCUS! If they're after you, then you got to get back to Anteiku. Get some help. For now, they're not making any moves against you yet. Grab the kid and get out of here._

Kaneki was still preoccupied of the memory, except now it was longer. He caught glimpses of an apartment kitchen and a pair of broken glasses lying on the floor. It was still full of anger and sadness that Kaneki almost lost himself in. Wolverine was the one who tethered him to reality.

 _Don't lose yourself! SNAP OUT OF IT!_

Kaneki eventually found himself in the toilet stall of the diner.

"Sorry."

 _What matters is that you're here. Now, get out before he could call his buddies for you._

Kaneki did what Wolverine wanted him to do. He briskly walked out of the men's room and went to his table. When he sees it, he also sees Hinami enjoying her meal.

" _I'm sorry to do this to you, Hinami._ "

Hinami waved at Kaneki with enthusiasm when she saw him.

"Kaneki, this is so good. I love this so much. It's so much better than what I used to eat!"

"Hinami."

She shut her mouth as she almost outed herself as a ghoul.

"Sorry. But this…"

She took another bite of her meal as she talked.

"Is so good. I can't stop eating."

"Hinami, we have to go."

"Why? Is something wrong?"

Kaneki looked around to see Kyle staring at the two of them. He whispers in Hinami's ears.

"We're in danger. There's a bad mutant who wants to do bad things. We have to get out of here."

When Hinami heard that there was a bad mutant here, she feared that he was here for Kaneki. Traumatic memories came back to her. Memories of being psychologically tormented by the gangly old dove who wanted to kill her followed by being physically tortured by Lady Deathstrike while almost being killed by her. This caused tears to stream from her face. Kaneki sees this and instantly worried for her.

"Hinami. Hey! Stay with me."

"Kaneki, there's something I have to tell you!"

He shushed her as she disturbed the rest of the people in the diner. Kaneki looked at Kyle once more as he was on his smartphone, making a call. He feared the worst.

(play _Heat of the Battle – Bleach OST 1_ )

"Let's get out of here."

All the patrons in the diner see them leave the diner, but not before Kaneki got their stuff and left some money at the register desk as payment for his meal. Kyle almost ends his call.

"Target has left from my sight. Pursuing immediately."

Kyle ends the call and exits the diner as well. Once outside, he looks around the area for the two. He catches a glimpse of the girl and runs after the two. He follows the two through a small crowd of people. Despite him carrying two items and holding the girl's hand, X-24 seemed to be faster than him. However, Wild Child was determined to capture him. He sees the two of them turn to a nearby corner, which was an alleyway in between two buildings. Once he arrived, Kyle sees the alleyway, but with no people. There was a dumpster, however. Kyle imagined that either the two are hiding behind the dumpster or inside it. On the former, he guessed right.

"Don't try to run from us, X-24. It'll make things worse for you. And the girl. Come quietly, no one else will have to suffer."

As the two hid behind the dumpster, Kaneki wanted to take action against Wild Child, but the way Hinami held on to him compelled him to stay where he was.

"I know where you're hiding. And the rest of my comrades are coming here soon. Don't fight it. Give yourself up."

Hinami looked at Kaneki thinking about the choice, but he held on to him further while nodding no with passion. She held her voice back with all her might. However, even the slightest whimper could be heard by Wild Child.

"Fine."

Wild Child brought out his sharp claws.

"Looks like we're doing this the hard way."

( _end music_ )

Just as the two were going to fight, a shadow appeared out of nowhere for Wild Child. He looks up to see someone falling into the alleyway. The seemingly unknown figure performed a superhero landing. Both Kaneki and Hinami were a little confused as to what stopped their pursuer from doing anything bad to them.

"Stay here."

Said Kaneki to Hinami as he peeked around the dumpster to see what was going on. He discovered Wild Child confronting somebody very familiar.

" _Is that?_ "

 _Looks like._

Kaneki instantly recognized his shifu, Danny Rand, confronting the mutant while wearing his costume. Wild Child recognized him as such.

"You…You're the Iron Fist?"

"That's right. And you're hunting down one of my students like he's an animal. I cannot allow it."

"Shifu."

Kaneki came out of hiding to see his shifu appearing to help him.

"Take Hinami with you and get to safety. Go now!"

Kaneki instantly obeyed his shifu's orders.

"Hinami, let's get out of here."

(play _Fei Long's Theme – Super Street Fighter II OST_ )

He grabbed her hand as he grabbed both her uniform and the birdcage, and ran for Anteiku. Danny stayed behind to face Wild Child as he got into a fighting stance that showed off his claws.

"Out of my way, Iron Fist!"

Danny summoned his chi as he got into a fighting stance.

"You shall not pass."

The two got at it. Wild Child gave wide swipes of his claws as he attacked Danny, but could not land a hit on his opponent. Danny observed the fighting moves of his foe as he kept his guard up. The fight eventually got out into the streets as onlookers took notice of a mutant and a man in a costume with glowing fists fighting each other. Some of the onlookers took out their phones to record the fight or livestream it.

"Fight!"

"Who's that guy with the claws?"

"A mutant, probably?"

"I think that's Daniel Rand."

"Whoa, Daniel Rand?"

"He calls himself Iron Fist!"

"KICK HIS ASS, IRON FIST!"

As the onlookers continued to record the fight while also cheering for Iron Fist to win, Danny and Wild Child continued to go at it to everyone's amazement. Both performed eye-catching acrobatics in between each other's attacks. Wild Child was agile in his movements and ferocious in his claw swipes, but Danny's full knowledge of kung-fu and mastery of Shou-Lou's chi kept the fight in his favor. He made no strikes against his opponent yet. However, he also made sure that none of Wild Child's landed on him either. He used his chi-infused arms to block the claw swipes in case dodging them was not an option. This made Wild Child mildly insulted.

"I thought this was a fight. Why haven't you hit me yet?!"

Wild Child attacked Danny some more as he swung his arms and performed a couple of high kicks at Danny, but unfortunately missed. He yelled out his frustration before giving one last swipe at Danny. Instead of dodging it, he stood still and waited for the claw swipe to come close enough for him to grab the wrist attached to it. This left both Wild Child and the onlookers stupefied at the result.

"A goal is not always meant to be reached. It often serves simply as something to aim at."

Wild Child was confused at what he said until police cars arrived at the scene. He then knew that the Iron Fist was not trying to defeat him, rather he wanted him to be captured. To protect his student.

( _end music_ )

"This is the police! Hands up or we will put you down! That's an order!"

Danny let go of Wild Child's wrist, kneeled down on all twos, and put his hands up as his chi faded away from his hands. Wild Child did the same as local police approached the two and arrested them. Kaneki and Hinami looked on in sadness as Danny was being taken away.

" _Shifu…_ "

Just then, Kaneki felt a large hand on his shoulder. He freaked out a little, only to turn around to see Piotr behind him.

"Piotr."

"Yoshimura called for me to get you two back to Anteiku. Get on."

He pointed to his SUV parked nearby. The two got on.

xxxxxx

Piotr parked his car in front of the café. He checked first to see if it was clear.

"Go."

Kaneki and Hinami exited the car first and ran toward the café. Koma was there to open the door for them as soon as he saw Piotr's car.

"Anybody follow you?"

"We are clear for now, Koma."

"Yoshimura thanks you for doing this."

"I must go back to post in 11th ward."

"Good luck. Heard its going bad."

" _You have no idea…_ "

As soon as Piotr drove off, Both Kaneki and Hinami were greeted by a worried staff. Touka, most of all.

"Hinami, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"

"I'm fine, Touka. No one hurt me."

"It's true. I was there to make sure of it."

Kaneki assumed that Touka would be angry at him for putting Hinami in danger. However, what happened next shocked everyone in the room. She walked up to Kaneki and bowed to him as a sign of apology.

"Um…Touka…?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I am."

She got up.

"Did they try to take you away?"

"No. Shifu arrived in time for me and Hinami to get out of there."

"Oh good. He got there in time."

Said Irimi, after sighing in relief that her call helped the two escape with their lives.

"I appreciate that, Irimi. But one problem came with that. Shifu got arrested by the police."

She gasped after hearing it. Yoshimura calmed her down first by placing his hand on her shoulder.

"I'll call Piotr to see if he can assist with his release."

"Yes sir. Thank you."

"Now Kaneki, you're probably wondering why Daniel Rand was there to save you from the mutant that tried to take you away."

"I was actually surprised to see him at the 20th ward. He's usually at his gym and dojo."

"I asked both him and Piotr to keep an eye on you two. Considering what went on a month ago, I thought it was prudent. Turns out I was right. Was this mutant…"

"Kyle Gibney."

Everyone was curious as to how Kaneki knew this mutant.

"Did he give you his name when you met him?"

"Yes he did. He was working as a waiter in a diner here, called Joseph's."

Everyone was startled that he was close to Anteiku.

"Damn it, not another one…"

Said Touka, to which Kaneki asked,

"Another one?"

Everyone looked at Touka when she explained what she meant.

"During when we were looking for Hinami, I found her at where you and Yomo found me. Before that, one of the doves that killed Rize found us."

"I kind of knew that. Mostly because I was preventing his partner from reaching you."

"Is that what you were doing? Well, thanks for that as well. During the fight, he was using weapons made from her parent's…kagunes…to psychologically torture Hinami."

Everyone in the café was once again shocked to hear such gruesome details. Hinami just looked sullen and depressed.

"The only why he stopped…was because of a mutant."

"Was this mutant associated with Sabretooth?"

Asked Kaneki, with a tone that highly suspected such a connection.

"Yeah, she was. Her name was Yuriko Oyama. She also called herself Lady Deathstrike."

 _Yuriko…damn it. She was here too._

"She was there for you, Kaneki. She was there to capture you for some reason. She said that you were some weapon that they had to get back. No matter what. I tried to kill her to stop that, but…"

Everyone was curious as to why Touka could not explain further. Yoshimura spoke to get her to finish.

"Why Touka?"

"Because that dove…wasn't dead yet. He gave the final killing blow. Just like with Rize. Even worse…"

Touka trembled to speak the words that she feared would make Kaneki mad with her. She never felt the fear of disappointing somebody. Until today.

"He knew your name, and that your mutant flesh was the reason why I could pass myself as human. He died moments later, but if his partner was around then it wouldn't be those rogue mutants after you, but also the doves…"

Kaneki could tell that Touka was holding back her fear. He placed his hand on her left shoulder to assure her that no blame was directed at her.

"Touka, you and Hinami are safe. That's all that really mattered to me then. It matters to me now."

As soon as Touka felt relaxed, Yoshimura then said,

"Kaneki, perhaps it would be best if you stayed here for a while. Until we can get to the bottom of this and get rid of these…rogue mutants that are so intent to kidnap you."

Kaneki at first was hesitant at the idea. Considering that he wanted to take action himself.

 _Take the offer._

" _I don't think so. Not this time…_ "

 _Hey. Don't think about doing anything stupid._

" _You don't get to criticize me! Considering that your past I haunting me for some reason!_ "

 _I'm only trying to…_

"Sorry, Yoshimura. But…I refuse."

Kaneki walked out of the café before anyone could talk to him. Hinami seemed crestfallen to see him leave. Touka, however, felt two conflicting emotions. She felt that Kaneki was selfish for wanting to take on a problem like this by himself. On the other hand, she understood why Kaneki wanted to take action. She did not move as to not feel like a hypocrite for chastising him on his choice. Nishiki, however, felt that someone should go after him.

"Well, isn't anyone gonna go after him?"

"What good would it do?"

Nishiki felt shocked to hear Yoshimura say that.

"What did you say, old man?"

"While Kaneki remains committed to our safety, his own life presents its complications. Many aspects of his past remain unknown. Even to him."

Everyone in the café was curious when Yoshimura gave a clue to Kaneki's past. Touka, a little more so.

"Wait. What do you mean?"

"Kaneki told me that he cannot remember anything before he was 11 years old."

"You mean…"

"He has amnesia. It's no wonder that he feels he wants to take action if it meant getting answers he desired for quite a long time."

Everyone in the café were saddened to hear Kaneki going through something like that nearly his whole life.

"I do want him to be safe, but not at the expense of Anteiku."

"So what?! Are we going to leave him to fight those mutants?"

"No. We leave him to find his past."

Nishiki left the café and went to the employee locker room. He didn't want to break Yoshimura's rules due to Kimi. Instead, he used his smartphone to text Hide about what had happened to Kaneki and to keep an eye on him.

xxxxxx

(Sunset)

Kaneki walked practically all over Tokyo to lose whomever was hunting him.

" _So far, no one's following me. That's good._ "

 _Never assume anything. They could be following you and you wouldn't know it._

" _Regardless, I'm going to do something I wanted to start a long time ago, but couldn't find the time._ "

 _What's that?_

" _Call my doctor._ "

Kaneki looked around him to find an internet café. He enters and sits at the nearest available desktop computer, opens a web browser, and searches for his doctor, Akihiro Kanou.

 _Why are you looking up your doc?_

" _Because…I don't know him all that well._ "

 _What are you talking about?_

" _When I was in a mental care facility, he was the one who took care of me. Who helped me regain my ability to speak, motor skills, et cetera. But during our psychological sessions, when we talked about my past, I asked for his._ "

 _He never did, right?_

" _Not once._ "

 _Could be he didn't want to._

" _The questions I asked were innocuous, at best._ "

 _Innocuous to you, maybe. But maybe not to him._

Kaneki conceded to Wolverine's point.

" _Fair enough. Still, there's something I have to know._ "

When Kaneki looked the name Akihiro Kanou, he was surprised to see zero results.

" _What the hell?_ "

 _Now that's suspicious._

Kaneki continued to type keywords related to him. Either the search results related to something else or nothing came up.

" _This is impossible! Every time I type in his name, nothing remotely comes close to what I'm looking for._ "

 _It's almost as if he doesn't exist._

" _That can't be… He does exist. I remember him. He…_ "

 _Helped you, right?_

" _It doesn't make sense. How can he just drop off the face of the earth without a trace?_ "

He then exited the café, and kept on walking. It was then that Kaneki remembered what he had learned so far in between the surgery Kanou performed to save his life and now.

 _flashbacks_

Kaneki: " _Wait, who knocked me out? Was it the people who made me into a ghoul in the first place?_ "

Itori: " _You see, there are more than a few rumors floating around that someone else was spotted at the top of the building site at the same time of your accident._ "

Danny: " _A ghoul's skin is tougher than a rhino. Either quinque steel or vibranium can cut through it_."

 _end_

Kaneki then made a decision.

" _I need to talk to Itori. Maybe she knows something._ "

By the time he made it to the Helter Skelter bar, it was already night. Kaneki was determined to get the answers he desired by any means necessary. When he entered, Itori was all by herself.

"Hey there, Kaneki. Haven't seen you in a long time."

"Likewise, Itori."

"So, what brings you here? Is it me?"

She said in an alluring tone.

"A little bit."

She was taken aback by his answer.

"Whoa! A little ballsy, I like that."

Kaneki eventually caught on with what she meant.

"It's not like that!"

"Chill out. I was just messing with you."

 _That was pure cringe._

" _Oh shut up._ "

"So, what bring you here? Is it because of Lady Deathstrike?"

Kaneki was surprised to hear that name being spoken from her mouth as he sat next to her.

"Don't forget my occupation."

"Right. And it is, in a sense. I met up with one of her comrades earlier today. He tried to capture me, but my kung-fu teacher, Danny Rand, saved both me and Hinami."

"Wow, you're learning kung-fu from the Immortal Iron Fist. It's impressive."

"Yeah, that story you told me about the glowing fist is actually true."

"I already knew that."

"How?"

"I met this information broker from Yokohama a while back. Asked me about this reclusive Chinese businessman and where he was. Question: Did you had anything to do with the explosion at the 8th ward?"

Kaneki knew Itori was referring to.

"Yeah…I did."

"What happened?! Tell me everything that went on during that day, I tell you what you want to know and even deny that you were here."

"Deny?"

"Rei called me earlier. Told me that you were hunting something. Said to call him in case you went here."

Kaneki agreed on the deal, considering he didn't want anyone to stop him on his search. He told what happened during the Battle of the Wing Kong exchange. How he helped Danny settle a secret and mystical battle dating back to ancient china. He told the story with a certain sense of enthusiasm that made Itori invested with glee. When he was done, Itori felt elated to hear such an epic tale of sorcery and kung-fu.

"That was awesome!"

"I know, right?!"

"And I love the way you tell it. I get the feeling that you rather enjoyed going on this type of thing, right?"

Kaneki wondered a little if he did possess a sense of adventure or a desire for thrills.

"Well, you held up your end of the bargain. So, I'll hold up mine. What do you want to know?"

Kaneki initially wanted to know how someone like Akihiro Kanou could disappear. But then, another thought came to mind.

" _What if there was a connection between him and Rize?_ "

 _How do you mean?_

" _Rize's organs were in his hospital. That means she was there. Or rather her body._ "

 _Maybe he had a hand in her resurrection._

" _If it goes back to Rize, then…_ "

"Rize Kamishiro."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I'll do what I can for you."

Itori took a sip of her blood wine before starting to share what she knew about Rize.

"To be perfectly honest…I don't anything about her. I could tell you the story of every person who ever came here, but not her. She was an absolute mystery."

Kaneki was surprised to hear that.

"It was the weirdest thing. One day, she popped up out of nowhere. Nobody knew who she was or what she wanted out of life."

Kaneki felt a little crushed that Rize did everything in her power to make sure that no one knew who she really was.

"But I could tell that girl definitely had a past. Info is out there, but that takes time. However, I did get this one piece of information."

"What is it?"

"She moved here from the 11th ward."

"A mutant district?"

"Yeah, I asked her that when she came here. I'd start there if I were you."

Kaneki got up from his bar stool and started to exit the bar.

"Thanks for the tip."

Kaneki exited the bar.

 _Not exactly at you wanted, right?_

" _Pretty much. It's a lead on Rize, but that's it._ "

 _What now?_

" _Hospital. It's still there._ "

While Kaneki walked, he eventually got to the middle of the city. Close to the hospital where Doctor Kanou saved his life. It was then that somebody walking along the same sidewalk eventually collided with him. He hummed and walked in a strange manner before.

"Sorry about that."

"No excuse me. I mean, you're weren't the one dancing around with his eyes closed."

Kaneki took a sniff of the person. He turned out to be a regular human, although he certainly looked so young and unusual. He had stitches on his on his left hand, red bags under his eyes, and white hair. He also wore a white dress shirt with overalls, black short-length pants and a black coat that seemed too big for him.

"Anyways, love to stick around but things tend to get scary at night. So, bye…"

Kaneki grabbed his coat before he took off.

"Before you go, can you give me back my wallet now?"

Kaneki attempted to reach for the inside of his coat, but the strange kid got himself free by slipping out of his coat.

"You mean this?"

He grinned like a monkey while waving Kaneki's wallet in front of his face. Kaneki reached for it, but the kid did some cartwheels, getting some distances between him and Kaneki. The last cartwheel he did was then followed by a large leap unto a short stone pillar being chained with others like it in a row. This attracted a lot of attention. There were even a couple of people who took out their phones to record, in case something interesting was going to happen. The kid smiled at Kaneki, annoying the mutant.

(play _Fireworks – Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix_ )

"I'm telling you one last time. Give it back."

"Come and get it!"

He laughed as Kaneki leapt onto a pillar and proceeded to fight him to get his wallet back. His training in Kung-Fu helped him maintain his balance while also fighting the kid. However, the kid proved himself far more agile and flexible than he initially appeared. He kept on using the pillars to keep his distance from Kaneki as he continued to taunt him using his wallet. Kaneki, on the other hand, began to feel frustrated the more his wallet was used to stroke his anger. Every time he believed he was close to getting it, the kid would instantly swipe it from his grasp. His annoyance also slowly caused him to lose his balance.

"Uh-oh. Somebody is losing it. Better get it or you won't see it again!"

The kid laughed some more, further angering Kaneki. The onlookers see this with a sense of fun, seeing the two playing keep away. Some of the people watching this mistaken them for incredibly acrobatic brothers performing a surprise stage show. However, this did not help Kaneki get his wallet back as the kid continued to mock him using his agility to dodge Kaneki's reach and even lightly kicked his back whenever Kaneki would try to tackle him to the ground. Although he was adept in regaining his balance and agile in his own right, Kaneki still felt stifled by the lack of progress.

 _Anger isn't helping you this time. Keep a cool head. You can move just as well as he can. Remember…_

Kaneki reminded himself that what this kid could do, he could do better. He stepped back five pillars back, away from the kid.

"Oh, are you finally gonna do something cool?!"

Kaneki smiled a little as he said,

"Just watch me."

Kaneki performed a series of flips until he leapt over the kid himself. Using the moment he was distracted, Kaneki reached for his wallet and got it back.

"Hey, you cheated."

"I was getting my property back, you living rag doll."

Pouting at first, rag doll grinned and tried to get the wallet back, but Kaneki performed another flip using rag doll as a jumping off point. Kaneki placed his wallet in his pocket and focused on defending himself. He blocked some of rag doll's playful attacks. He even laughed as he was doing this.

"This is so fun!"

"This is fun for you?!"

"Why not?!"

Some of the people watching this cheered as Kaneki fended off some more of rag doll's attacks until he grabbed one of his fists and forcefully pushed him back. This caused rag doll to lose balance and almost fall off. What stopped him from slamming his face onto the short stone pillar was Kaneki grabbing his shirt. The audience then clapped at the save Kaneki made.

( _let music on its own_ )

"Now, you gonna back off?"

"Sure. Whatever you like."

Kaneki pulled on his shirt so that rag doll could re-balance himself before he stepped off the short stone pillar. Kaneki stepped off as well, issuing a warning before he went on his way.

"Now, don't do this kind of crap again."

Kaneki walked away while also checking his wallet.

" _Everything seems to be here. Wait…_ "

He noticed his student ID was gone.

" _What the…!_ "

Kaneki turned around to see rag doll was already gone. Kaneki could only sigh at such, at best, a minor inconvenience.

"Replaceable, at best."

In a nearby alley, rag doll looked at the name of the ID he stole.

"Ken Kaneki. Age 19. What do you know? He's the same age as me."

He laughed a little.

"And he's fun to be around."

xxxxxx

Kaneki soon arrived at the hospital where he was treated for his injuries when Rize attempted to eat him.

" _Finally here…_ "

He noticed the name of the hospital was different.

"Wait, what the…"

 _What's wrong?_

" _The name of the hospital has changed._ "

 _What was it called before?_

Kaneki saw the name of the hospital change to 'Koriyama Memorial Hospital.' Before that, it was called 'Kanou Memorial Hospital.'

" _Did the hospital change the name because of Kanou's disappearance?_ "

He entered inside to get some answers. He went to the reception desk and asked his questions.

"Excuse me?"

The woman at the desk heard him.

"Yes. How can I help you?"

"I'm looking for someone named Akihiro Kanou."

"Let me check."

The receptionist typed in the name Kaneki mentioned, only to turn up zero results.

"I'm sorry. I can't seem to find him."

"Ma'am, this is really important for me to know that he's here."

"Young man, I don't know what to tell you. If's he's not in our system, that means we don't have him."

"Ma'am, about six months ago, I was a patient in this hospital. I had emergency surgery performed on me in which my organs had to be replaced. The man who performed this procedure on me was Akihiro Kanou. Hell, this hospital was named after him."

"Sir, this hospital is named after the director. We do not have anyone by the name of Akihiro Kanou."

"He's here! I know he is!"

"Sir, we need you to exit the hospital."

Kaneki turned around to see a pair of security guards ready to escort him out of the building. He knew it was useless to cause any more of a racket.

"I'll see myself out."

Kaneki promptly exited the hospital. When he looked back, he could see one of the guards who saw him out talk into his walkie-talkie.

" _Looks like I may have ruffled a few feathers._ "

 _What's your next move?_

" _Go the back way._ "

Kaneki walked all around the to the back of the hospital. He waited for the opportunity to enter without anyone knowing. After waiting for an hour, one finally presented himself to him when he saw a janitor coming out the back to dump some garbage into the hospital dumpster.

" _Now's my chance._ "

He attempted to run towards the open back entrance, but was stopped by somebody.

"What the…"

Kaneki felt somebody's hand covering his mouth.

"Stay still."

Kaneki knew that voice to be Hide's. He looked to see that he was right.

"Don't talk."

Kaneki saw the janitor get back inside. This made Kaneki angry. The two loudly whispered to each other as they argued.

"Hide! What are you doing here?!"

"I should ask you the same thing, asshole!"

"I'm the asshole?! You just made me miss my opportunity!"

"Opportunity for what?! To get yourself in more trouble than you were this morning?!"

"Why the hell are you here?!"

"Nishio texted me. Said you were attacked by mutants who tried to kidnap you, and that your kung-fu teacher was in jail for saving you."

Kaneki now felt guilty, forgetting for one moment that his shifu was in prison for using his powers in broad daylight. He even remembered just telling Itori about what happened at the 8th ward with excitement, and that his shifu being in jail did not even cross his mind.

"He was able to get out because he had a good lawyer in case he was in trouble, but Kaneki. Everyone back in Anteiku is worried about you. Even that ghoul kid."

He was now absolutely flabbergasted when Hide mentioned Hinami by her species.

"Hide…when did you…?"

"I saw you fighting Rize on that day. That mask looked very familiar, and kind of cool."

 _flashback_

Hide was among the crowd watching the ghoul fighting against a mutant wearing a mask. Hide was taken aback by the sight of the girl.

" _That girl…she was the girl that Kaneki had a mad crush on…and that mutant…_ "

What made the mutant stand out to Hide was his metal claws. He knew very well whom those claws belonged to.

" _No way…Kaneki…?_ "

 _end_

"I think you were too focused on fighting Rize that you probably didn't even notice me."

Inside of Kaneki, a flurry of emotions exploded inside him. This time, it was not of anger, but of confusion and worry. He remembered the time Touka said she would kill him if he knew about Anteiku being a sanctuary for ghouls.

"Hide, I…"

"I kinda get why you didn't want to tell me. I see you with them. You're actually a little happier with them. So, I didn't want to ruin that. But I still want to know. How?"

Kaneki wanted to explain, but still want to get inside.

"Help me get in, and I'll tell you."

"Does getting in the hospital have to do with it?"

"It…plays a part in how a mutant like me helps a secret ghoul sanctuary."

"Wait, that's what Anteiku is?"

"Help me first."

Hide looks at the hospital and makes his choice.

"All right, but we're gonna need this."

Hide reaches for his pocket and takes out a hospital ID card. Kaneki was perplexed at the sight of it.

"How'd you get it?"

"I kind of followed you. The hospital was an educated guess. I've noticed the name has changed."

"Yeah, it was. It's named after the director of this place. I want to know why."

"No time to waste then. By the way, I like the new hoodie. Black suits you."

The two sprinted for the back entrance when they saw that the coast was clear. Hide then used the ID card and swiped it on the scanner. It recognized the card and they entered Once inside, Hide asked,

"What now?"

"I need to find the director of this place."

"Why?"

"Maybe he knows something?"

"It's a bit of a long shot."

"It's all I got."

"All right then. Let's see where his office is."

The two looked around until they found an empty reception desk for the floor.

"Let's look here."

The two looked around the desk to see where the office might be located. Hide eventually discovered a map of the hospital.

"Kaneki, I found something."

He sees the map.

"Do they use it in case they get lost?"

"More probably they use it for fire drills."

They both find the location of the office of the hospital's director.

"Fourth floor."

"All right then. Let's go."

The two went for the elevator. During the ascent, Hide then asked Kaneki why he was fighting Rize.

"So, Rize was a ghoul all this time? How did I miss that?"

"Hey, I was the one who went on a date with her. So, it's my fault as well."

"Oh my god…How did you survive? Did you…had to use your claws?"

Kaneki sighed as he had to recall such a terrible memory.

"Yeah I did. I didn't like it, but she was going to kill me. Of course, I managed to defeat her."

"How?"

"…Rage. But that's not the end. I managed to remember what else happened that night. I did defend myself against Rize, but I was later knocked unconscious by some…mysterious circumstances that got me into this hospital."

"What kind?"

"Somehow, I was knocked out. And then, my organs were switched with Rize's."

Hide was totally stupefied to hear that Kaneki had ghoul organs inside of him.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. Akihiro Kanou was the doctor responsible for it. And I need to find out why."

The elevator soon stopped as it reached the fourth floor. As they walked towards the director's office, Kaneki stopped Hide in his tracks.

"Hide. You need to stay out here."

"Why?"

"I can't have the wrong people knowing who you are. I don't want to put you in the same danger I am right now."

"You can't do this to me now, man. I won't let do this alone."

"Hide, if this leads to something big, I don't want you…"

"So what?!"

Just then, the two heard footsteps. While Hide went for the nearest open door, Kaneki quickly opened the office door, entered, and closed it without a sound. Hide looked at this and internally chided Kaneki.

" _Oh, come on, Kaneki! Couldn't you just…_ "

Hide caught a glimpse of a man in a business suit, holding a folder with some papers inside.

" _That has to be the director Kaneki was talking about. If he hadn't come earlier, this would've been awkward._ "

Hide quickly got back into the room he hid in to avoid detection. Koriyama looked up for a moment to see if anyone else was on the same floor, only to see nobody else but him. As he entered his office, Kaneki waited in the one of the corners. The office was just like any other private office, and since it was half dark inside, Kaneki hid with minimum difficulty. However, for added measure, he put on his mask, which he took with him since the start of the day. He spoke to Koriyama with the voice modulator on to disguise his voice.

" **Director Koriyama, I presume?** "

Koriyama was startled at the sound of a deep voice speaking to him. Kuzuri opened the blindfold to let the moonlight illuminate the rest of the room. Koriyama sees the mask the intruder had on.

"Who are you?"

" **Not important. I came here to ask you some questions.** "

 _SNIKT!_

Koriyama sees the claws on him.

" **Cooperate, and I won't use these.** "

"It's you."

Kuzuri was confused at first, but later realized,

" _So, he does know about me…_ "

" **So, you already know who I am then.** "

"At first, with the mask, no. But the claws gave me more than a clue. You're Kanou's special patient."

Kuzuri was surprised that Kanou told Koriyama about him.

" **You know me through Kanou?** "

"He actually let in on some of his…special operations. You were one of them."

" **Keep talking.** "

Koriyama sat on his chair and started talking.

"Kanou knew that one day, you would come looking for him. Ask him about why he implanted ghoul organs inside you. He experimented on you to see if it was possible for a ghoul to possess the X-gene. Likewise, he was curious as to what would happen if a ghoul had the organs of a mutant inside them. The money he gave me was reason enough to keep quiet."

Kuzuri silently seethed when he was told that Kanou thought of him as a lab rat.

" **Kanou…where is he?** "

He said in a low, menacing tone.

"Last time I spoke to him, he paid me a king's ransom to erase his entire existence from any and all databases across the internet that contained his information. Including his birth records. After that, the last thing he said to me was this."

" **What was it?** "

"If you meet Ken Kaneki, give him this address."

Koriyama opened one of the drawers of his work desk and gave Kuzuri a piece of paper.

"I checked it. It's somewhere in the 11th ward."

Kuzuri was shocked to hear Koriyama mention the 11th ward.

" _That's where Rize last lived._ "

 _Guess what that hot bartender chick told you did have something to do with this._

Kuzuri put the paper in one of his pockets and proceeded to exit the office. Before he did, he spoke to Koriyama one last time.

" **If this is a trap or a false lead, I'm coming back for you…** "

Kuzuri brandishes one of his claws before retracting it.

" **And you will know pain.** "

Kaneki exited the office while also taking off his mask. Hide sees him walking towards the elevator and catches up with him.

"Kaneki, wait up."

Hide soon joined him in the elevator.

"So, what'd you find out?"

Hide could see the angry look on Kaneki's face.

"Dude, you alright?"

"I didn't mean shit to him."

"Who? That director guy?"

"Kanou."

Hide could tell that rage welled up within Kaneki.

"What did he do to you?"

"He was the doctor that performed the surgery that 'saved' my life. Turned it was anything but. He groomed me to be his lab rat in the end. Question is, for how long? How long was I a means to an end? Did he even wanted to help me?"

Kaneki remembered all the tie he had spent with Akihiro Kanou. How he helped him with his education up to a certain point. How he consoled in him whenever he despaired about his lost memories. Even now, he meant, up to tonight, someone he could trust his life to. To realize that it was all one long, elaborate ruse, Kaneki felt like Julius Caesar being given the killing blow by Brutus. The two exited the building, and then the hospital itself. Hide tries to dispel some of the anger that Kaneki had inside him.

"Kaneki, hold up."

"We don't have time. We have to get to the 11th ward."

"I think we shouldn't. There's been a lot of ghoul activity there. Hell, the mutant residents there were told to stay at their homes after dark. With all that's going on, maybe we sit on this…"

"WE CAN'T!"

Hide was surprised to see Kaneki yell at him with such force.

"Every second we waste here; Sabretooth and his pals are closer to putting everyone I care about in danger. Including you!"

"I get that. But you're not thinking clearly! Have you considered that maybe this is what they wanted? If what you told me is true, then maybe this Sabretooth guy is behind, or played a part in, the circumstances that led you to having Rize's organs inside you. Hell, you didn't even tell me the important part!"

"Which one is that?"

"Are you a ghoul? Are you? You have to tell me, man!"

Kaneki took a deep sigh and told Hide the truth.

"I was. But only for two days."

"Two days?! How?"

"You remember when we followed Nishiki to his place for something you needed?"

"Yeah, and then he kicked me out of nowhere."

Kaneki lightly gasped when Hide remembered when Nishio tried to eat him in front of his best friend.

"I even remembered parts of the conversation you two had. Then some yelling, but that's it. What happened?"

"I…tore out all my organs from my body."

Hide stood in a state of utter disbelief when Kaneki confessed to pulling all his innards with his own hands. Then he yelled,

"WHAT THE F**K?! Are you f***ing serious?!"

"They grew back."

"Oooooohhhh, they grew back! Well that makes everything-KANEKI, YOU TRIED TO KILL YOURSELF!"

"Well, it didn't land!"

Hide paced himself on the hospital parking ground.

"This is why I worry about you sometimes. When you showed me your claws back in high school, I kept it a secret not just because you wanted me too, but also…"

"Also what?"

"You remember the Avengers?"

"Who doesn't?"

"People love them as heroes. They have fantastic powers, they save lives, all that good stuff. They also have problems. Issues that spill over to regular people, like us. Those issues are why bullshit like Ultron existed. It's also why the Avengers are gone! Kaneki, I didn't want to say anything about your powers because Wolverine was a hero. If you became a hero, that would also come with problems that would probably destroy you!"

Kaneki could see just how Hide concerned himself over him. How he worried for his friend. How he could see just how Kaneki writhes under the anguish that life often give him. How Hide goes out of his way just for him to see that there are things worth living for.

"Hide, I'm sorry that I worry you so much."

"Well, you do. Just not as much as you're thinking. I see you in Anteiku. I see how you talked about your kung-fu teacher. You've made a good life for yourself now. I don't want to see that go away."

Kaneki nodded in agreement.

"If you still want to go to the 11th ward, then fine. But please be careful about it."

"Fine. We'll do your way."

Hide gave a sigh of relief as Kaneki agreed to follow his recommendations.

"Alright, let's go."

As the two made their way to the 11th ward, Koriyama made a call.

"He's headed there right now. Just like you told me, Dr. Kanou."

"That's good to hear. And thank you again for clearing any trace of me. I want to reward you again for that."

"You're far too kind, Doctor. Of course, who am I to refuse?"

Jus then, a bullet shot through the glass window and blew a hole in Koriyama's head. He slumped over dead shortly after.

"A dead man."

On another building, miles away from the hospital, a man wearing body armor underneath a wool sweater with army camo pants and a wool mask with a visor just fired a sniper rifle aimed at a window of the Koriyama Memorial Hospital. He then makes a call.

"Colonel Stryker, target is eliminated."

"Good work, Agent Zero. Where is the target?"

"Heading for designated coordinates."

"Sabretooth is almost done. He'll take of things here."

"With all due respect, sir, he's failed twice."

"If he strikes out a third time, take him out. Keep an eye on the situation."

"Yes sir."

xxxxxx

Kaneki and Hide finally made it to the 11th ward as they traveled by railway. It was two hours until morning when they arrived.

"So, you know where were going?"

Kaneki takes out the piece of paper and shows it to Hide.

"That's where we're going?"

"Yep."

He then takes out his smartphone to use his GPS app, and inputs the address on the paper. It shows the route to their destination.

"Let's go."

As the two followed the directions, little did they know, Kaneki and Hide were being followed by Victor. However, what prevented Kaneki from picking up his scent was the distance between them. However, Victor kept an eye on the two and their path via a pair of hi-tech binoculars that also provided info for the two. When he turned his sights for Hide, it gave him basic information about him.

"Nothing special."

However, one fact about Hide stuck out.

"He was adopted by a GCB investigator some time ago. Probably why he's always at scenes where the GCB are involved."

As he looked on, Kaneki and Hide eventually arrived at their destination.

"We're here."

The place revealed itself to be a partially empty lot underneath a highway bridge. There was almost nothing there, save for some construction equipment; such as plastic cones, striped poles with signs attached at the middle, and so on. Hide was underwhelmed at what he saw.

"Kaneki, I don't see anything that sticks out."

"I see that."

Kaneki points to an entryway of sorts. It was dome-shaped but cut in half horizontally. It also had a steel door at the front. Hide sees as well.

"Okay, but it's probably another entrance for the sewers."

"I think there's a keypad next to it."

"You sure?"

Kaneki walked toward the door to get a closer look with Hide following him. As they got close, the keypad was there, attached beside the steel door. Hide also sees an LED light above the keypad. It was currently red.

"Okay. What now?"

"I think we need a code to open this."

"Did Koriyama give it to you?"

Kaneki took out the paper to look at it again. He sees not just an address in the 11th ward, but also a series of numbers at the bottom. He presses the numbers on the keypad. When he finished, the LED light now turned green.

(play _Otherworld – Axiom Verge OST_ )

As the door opened by itself, the descending hallway was too dark to see anything. Both Kaneki and Hide felt compelled to enter inside. As they did, the door behind them closed by itself.

"What was that?!"

Asked Kaneki in a panicked voice.

"I think the door shut by itself. Question is, how do we get out now?"

"One problem at a time."

The two brought out their own smartphones, used their own respective flashlight functions, and continued downwards the dark stairway until they came across an elevator. Hide then asked,

"Think it still works?"

"The door from before needed power to work, right?"

"Maybe this place is connected to the city's power or has its own supply."

Kaneki pushed the button. The elevator lit up as it opened. The tube lights flickered as they turned on. Both felt increasingly unsure whether to continue, but no exit presented itself yet. Kaneki and Hide had no choice but to continue their path to wherever it led. They entered before the elevator closed by itself and started to descend. Hide voiced his thoughts on how everything was going so far.

"This whole place is starting to give me some creepy vibes. Feels like we're in a Ridley Scott movie or something. Am I right?"

Hide notices Kaneki gripping his head with one hand. As if he were in pain.

"Kaneki, are you alright?"

"This place…"

He breathed a little heavily as Kaneki felt a surge of memories resurfacing just by being here. The place they were in seemed to awaken something dormant within Kaneki's mind.

"I've…been here before."

"When?"

The elevator stopped. As it opened, they encountered another door, but this one was regular as it possessed a doorknob. The two walked toward it, and opened to reveal something truly shocking. A hallway with doors on the sides, and besides them were broken windows. They were rooms filled with either decrepit medical equipment, patient beds, and doctor's tools; or laboratories with broken glasses used to measure various volumes of liquid, microscopes left to ruin, and desks that seemed they were cut into pieces by something large and sharp. There were also blood splatters on the walls and floors, ranging from small to large. They walked forwards as they checked out the rooms without entering them first. They were mesmerized by just how a place like this existed without anyone knowing. Hide spoke out what was going through his mind.

"This place is impossible, to say the least. This place must've been built in absolute secrecy. Probably must've paid the right politicians to make sure that nobody else knows about this. Kept it from the media…"

Hide saw Kaneki continue to walk ahead of him.

"Kaneki, wait up!"

As he caught up to him, Hide asked,

"What's happening with you?"

Kaneki continued to struggle with what was going through his mind. He continued to writhe with memories he believed he lost were instead buried deep within his subconscious. Until he arrived to where he was right now. In Kaneki's eyes, this place was sterile at first, with various doctors looking over him as they injected so many needles into his small body. He screamed in response to the pain until they placed him inside of a glass tube full of water. Then, he felt something burning coursing through his body. In the present day, he moved around on the floor, as if he were having a seizure. This greatly worried Hide.

"Kaneki! What's the matter?! KANEKI!"

He struggled with the pain at first, and attempted to act on his rage, but was quelled against his will. When the pain stopped, so did his free will. The violent rush of memories seemed to subsided for now. When Kaneki regained his footing, mentally speaking, he looked up to see Hide looking at him with concern.

"Kaneki, what's with you? Is there something wrong?"

"This place…I was made here."

"Made?"

"This is where…they made me into a weapon."

"A weapon? So, this place…"

"Yeah. They experimented on mutants here. To make living weapons."

Hide now felt horror after hearing that his best friend was in a place like this.

"My god…So, those claws of yours…They're weren't metal when you were born?"

A tear streamed down Kaneki's face.

"No. No they weren't."

Kaneki continued forward to the door at the end of the hallway. Hide followed him to keep a further eye on him. Kaneki reached to the end and placed his hand to the doorknob. At first, he hesitated to turn it. Which caught Hide's notice.

"You don't have to, man. We can find another way out."

"No, Hide. I need to know."

As he opened the door, Kaneki saw the remains of the glass tube that contained him at such a young age. A few more memories popped into his mind. This time, they were of blood. Of people that laid dead to his bone claws. The victims looked at him with abject terror as he rushed to them with murderous intent. Kaneki knew these people to be his victims. Then, one more memory played out in his mind.

( _end music_ )

 _flashback_

Within the water-filled glass tube, X-24 looked at the environment around him. Three doctors monitored his condition. Then, he looked at the glass panel in front of him. More doctors were there, one of which stuck out to him. His glasses reflected the light from the computers in front of him. He also had a white beard on his face. Then, another doctor arrived, with an angry look on his face. Kaneki knew this to be Akihiro Kanou.

"Doctor Cornelius! What's the meaning of this?"

"Exactly as it looks like, Kanou. I'm taking over the project."

"You can't! My handling of X-24 has yielded desirable results. The kind that Mr. Stryker gave me total autonomy on."

"Your results came to be because I was successful of creating adamantium that would grow along with the subject it bonded with. I am simply exercising my right to take it where I want it to go now."

The professor then took out a red vial. Kanou looked at it with apprehension.

"What is that?"

"A serum of my own creation. It will excite the subject's amygdala, seeping into the hypothalamus."

"My god, you created a rage serum?"

"If we want to produce results that gave us true success, then we must be willing to go to extremes."

"Did you forget what happened last time you used rage as a means to control your subjects?"

"No, I haven't. I even applauded your foresight when you proposed to insert a control chip on the subject's prefrontal cortex."

"It only controls his depression, not his rage. If you insert that into X-24, it's going to blow up in not just your face, but in all of ours as well."

Dr. Cornelius simply glared at Kanou for a moment until he inserted his serum into the fluid tank that constantly injects X-24 with morphine. As soon as Dr. Cornelius's serum reached X-24's bloodstream, alarms suddenly set off.

"What's going on?"

One of the doctors read the status of X-24.

"The serum is having a negative effect on X-24. It's doing what you wanted Dr. Cornelius, but the subject can't handle that much."

"Override his prefrontal cortex!"

"It's useless, Abraham."

Dr. Cornelius looked at Kanou.

"You've inserted the rage of a fully-grown man into a 11-year-old boy. What did you think was going to happen?"

"I've seen what you have done with my Wolverine project, and took it to places where I couldn't. It angered me, Kanou. I couldn't…!"

Just then, the glass tube that contained X-24 started to break. Before it did, the subject started to convulse until he opened his eyes, and they turned out to be blank.

 _SNIKT!_

The cause for the glass tube breaking was X-24 using his claws to break the glass and go on a rampage that led to the deaths of many people within the lab. Including Dr. Cornelius. Kanou, on the other hand, escaped with his life.

"In the end Abraham, you've peaked and blamed everyone else for it."

Kanou then went for a nearby phone, and gave a general announcement over the facility's P.A system.

"Attention all staff, escaped subject has now gone rogue. Security forces, report to lab Alpha. I repeat, lab alpha."

Armed guards in full tactical gear gathered in front of the lab where the situation was happening. One of them opened the door, only to be greeted by a savage boy with metal claws. He killed the guard, and stared at the rest with murderous intent. The guards shot their guns, riddling X-24 bullet wounds. However, his healing factor made their efforts look like an utter joke. They kept shooting at him, only to be dealt the same fate. One by one did X-24 maim his way to freedom. Kanou looked at the fight through a monitor that showed a live feed of the facility. He then makes a call.

"This is Kanou. This facility will soon be compromised."

…

"No, the subject will be taken care of. However, Colonel Stryker, it's better to be safe than sorry."

…

"I'll take care of everything."

The rage gave X-24 the energy and drive to escape the facility. He spots a nearby stairway that he ran all the way up until he came to another set of stairs, but these led to the way out. As he ascended, X-24 felt the rage fading away, little by little. When he finally got out, he walked around the city of Tokyo in a daze of confusion.

 _end_

Tears streamed down Kaneki's face as he finally remembered all of his past. His mother and father, his life at Nagasaki and then Tokyo. Being friends with Hide for the first time. And then, seeing his mother dead on the floor of the apartment they both lived in. Being taken away by Sabretooth to the same underground facility he currently stood in. Having his entire being under control by people who only saw him as a thing, and being used to kill people. The weight of the people who were slain by his hand weighted heavy on his heart and soul. So much so, Kaneki kneeled on both knees while clutching his chest with both hands. Hide sees this, and asked,

"Kaneki, what's wrong?"

"I KILLED THEM ALL!"

Hide was surprised by his outburst.

"Killed who?"

"All of them."

Kaneki sobbed his eyes out over what he was forced to do.

"Kaneki, what are you talking about?"

"This place…made me into a weapon. But that didn't mean I wasn't a…"

"A what?"

"Hide, I killed my mom."

Hide was taken aback once more due to what Kaneki said.

"What are you talking about?"

"When I first got my mutation, they were bone claws…just like my father."

"Wolverine?"

Kaneki, at first, felt shocked to hear Hide knew who his father, and did not say anything about it. However, that anger for him dispelled when he remembered the day he took Hide to his apartment home, he believed him about his father being Wolverine.

"Yeah. I remember taking you to see my mom. I showed you a picture, and you believed me…"

Hide now felt a little sad himself. His best friend now remembered sharing his childhood in a place that only invoked horror.

"But Hide…you don't understand…that day…when I disappeared…that's was when I did it…"

Kaneki sobbed some more.

"I remember feeling so angry that it triggered my mutation. After that, I see my mom…laying on the floor, bleeding to death. Because of me…"

Hide was in disbelief when Kaneki claimed that he murdered his mother.

"You can't mean it, Kaneki…"

"HER BLOOD WAS ON MY CLAWS. I F***ING killed her…"

Kaneki felt as if in shambles over this fact. The memory of his mother and him crying with blood on his then-bone claws.

"I knew it. All this time, I thought I could be somebody decent. Somebody who could be…happy. Even though my life was hell sometimes, at least I had something to live for. But…everything I just remembered…I was right."

Kaneki sobbed a little more before saying something that he said to Yoshimura the day he protected Hide from Nishiki.

"I am an animal. I don't deserve to be around people. No matter how much I want to."

"An all-too unfortunate truth, kid."

Both Kaneki and Hide see who else was there with them. They discovered Sabretooth, standing alongside Kane, Wild Child, and another mutant. He had a silver body while wearing a one-piece retro armor suit that was mostly red with silver boots and shoulder pads. He also wore a red headband that adorned an omega symbol that was glowing orange. What his mutation was were metal tentacles located at the bottom of his wrists. Hide stood in front of Kaneki to give him time to escape.

"Kaneki, get out of here!"

Victor snapped his fingers in front of the red mutant, and said mutant used his tentacles to grapple Hide in order for zero interference.

"Good work, Omega."

Sabretooth then kneeled in front of Kaneki.

"Now, where do you want to start?"

 **And we're done for now. I wanted to end things on a cliffhanger because I have more things for this filler arc than before. Like the last one. Must be a pattern with me. Anyhow, if you like what you read, be sure to leave a review and share this with your friends. Next time: A big fat showdown, a smaller scale showdown, and the start of the finale! Later.**


	12. Ch 11

**Hi, and welcome back to our exciting chapter of Kuzuri! That cliffhanger made you come back, am I right? Well, I hope this will satisfy your hunger for action and drama. Last time we saw Kaneki, he went searching for answers, but he got in return was pain and sorrow. As far as this story is concerned, par for the course. Now as Hide is being held captive, Sabretooth, of all people, offer Kaneki answers. Let's see where this goes.**

Ch. 11 – Mask

Kaneki was surrounded by mutants who wanted to take away and turn hm back into a mindless assassin. His best friend, Hide, was in the metallic grip of one Omega Red. As he looked on in distress, Sabretooth got to his level and said to him,

"Now, where do you want to start?"

"…Why was I here?"

"Because you're our weapon. Our second greatest."

"Second?"

"First was your old man, Logan. World knew him as Wolverine. Of course, he wasn't the only one. There's more of us, all extensions of Weapon X."

"Weapon X?"

"The organization that made you, me, and everyone else you see here."

Kaneki looked at Wild Child, Kane, and Omega Red.

"But…why would you want this?"

"All of our reasons vary, but they all come from the same source. The world considers us unacceptable, menaces, disgraceful. Hell, you summed it up nicely: animals."

Kaneki felt as if he had hit rock bottom.

"That's why we had to get you. You're honestly one of us. A murderer who's better off having a leash on him."

"You shut the hell up, bastard!"

Yelled Hide, disgusted at calling Kaneki something he wasn't.

"Omega."

Omega Red nodded, and used his other tentacle to shut Hide's mouth.

"Hide!"

Sabretooth grabbed Kaneki's face by the cheeks with one hand.

"Focus."

He then let go and continued his little speech.

"Of course, it wasn't easy getting you. First, we couldn't get you on account of your dad. But once he died, there was finally a window of opportunity. Of course, we had to wait, but it was worth it when we found you with your dead mama lying next to you."

Kaneki remembered once more the memory of his mother bleeding to death on the floor, and his bloodied bone claws.

"It wasn't just her, though. You made quite the mess, X-24. But clean-up's a minor inconvenience compared to getting a prize worthy of the bullshit we had to put up with. After that, we subjected you to the same procedure of bonding the adamantium to your skeletal structure. The same one you dad volunteered…a long while back."

Now another memory emerged, but this time, it was not his. It was that of Logan being lowered into a glass tank. Needles attached to tubes inserted themselves into his skin. Then, searing hot metal flowed through his body, causing him to convulse in pain until he seemed dead. Moments later, he rises up, yelling a primal yell before escaping.

"Because you were the offspring of the Wolverine, we believed you too had what it took to survive the procedure. After all, your mutant powers came to be when you saw your mother dead in front of you. At least, that's what the doctors said at the time. We even came up with a special type of adamantium that would grow as you did."

Kaneki had another flashback of being in a glass tube, with hot, liquid metal flowing through him.

"But it wasn't enough or us to have you. We needed your dad's experiences. So, we took his corpse without anyone knowing…"

Kaneki was shocked to hear that they grave-robbed his father's dead body.

"Took out the part of the brain that stored all his experiences, and inserted it into you."

Kaneki now felt horrified after hearing it. As did Hide.

"It's the reason why you could hear the Wolverine inside of your head. Because he is actually inside of your head."

Kaneki tried to speak, but no words came out of his mouth. How could he? None could describe what he was feeling right now.

"Hell, we talked for a little bit back at that church. How you doing, Jimmy?"

 _Asshole._

"So, all you see before you…"

Sabretooth walked around Kaneki to emphasize his words.

"Is done because of Akihiro Kanou. He caught the eye of Colonel Stryker because of his work in medicine, but also caught wind of his ghoul experiments. Rather than exposing him, he supported his projects. In exchange for doing experimentations on mutants. I.E. you."

Now Kaneki felt anger. The same anger he felt for Kanou earlier.

"He looked over the notes concerning your father's procedure, and made some changes. One of the biggest was how to control you. He believed that rather than using your anger as a means to control you, instead he used depression. It's actually kind of smart. Even if you got out of our control, your suicidal tendencies served as a backup measure. A way to make sure that no matter what, you would always come back to us."

(play _Altering lives – Doctor Who Series 4 Specials OST_ )

It was devastating for Kaneki to hear. In the far back parts of his mind were his negative views of himself. He believed that as long the people around him were happy, he would never be alone. Because it was his one true fear. He unwittingly dedicated himself to being a happiness pump just to not be by himself. And yet, he knew his mutant abilities make him a danger to himself and everyone else around him. Kaneki was a person torn between wanting to be around others, and staying away from them for their own safety. This duality tore him apart in his mind. To know this was all done by design gave him a deeper sense of woe than he had ever felt before. Everyone could see what Kaneki was feeling right now. None more so than Hide. The sight of his best friend, as he remembered him, kneeling at the weight of his existential crisis brought upon by these mutants who only saw him as a thing made him angrier than he ever felt. Most importantly, seeing Kaneki being consumed by his depression and not being able to help him now made him cry, if only a little. Sabretooth then kneeled to him one last time, while also bringing out a pair of handcuffs.

"This is why you're better off as property. You just don't have what it takes to live. It's not for the weak. And without us, without Weapon X, you are weak."

In his head, Kaneki retreated into his mindscape.

xxxxxx

He laid on the floor in a fetal position, unable to bear the unforgiving truth of his origin. He cried as the water floor absorbed his tears. Kaneki was broken, in every sense of the word. By then, Wolverine sees him, but it does not make him angry. Rather, he felt pity.

"Get up. You can't take this lying down."

No response.

"Are you listening to me? Your friend is in trouble, and your life is in danger."

More silence.

"I know the pain you're going through, but there's a time and a place for everything. Right now, you need to take action."

After another moment of silence, Wolverine was ready to grab him by his shoulders and talk to him. However, by the time he got within two steps of him, Kaneki then says,

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Wolverine sighed as he tried to come up with an answer.

"I didn't know how. Rather…I didn't think you would believe me."

"That you were my father? That I killed my mother?"

Wolverine sighed one more time.

"Let me take over. I take Sabretooth and the rest of them down. I'll even save your friend. Please…let me help."

At the end of one last moment of silence, Kaneki then said,

"Do whatever you like."

( _end music_ )

xxxxxx

As Sabretooth took out a leash to put on Kaneki, he felt the wrist of his hand being forcibly gripped.

"Don't even try to resist, kid. You know what'll happen."

Omega Red tightened his grip on Hide a little. Hide now felt a little pain. However, this did not seem to faze Kaneki. Rather, with his other hand, he took out his mask from out of his hoodie, let go of Sabretooth's wrist, takes a couple leaps back, and dons his mask. This gave almost everyone in the whole room a bad case of nostalgia. Sabretooth, most of all.

"That you, runt?"

" **Victor, you son of a bitch.** "

Now the room was being filled with anger. None more so from Omega Red.

"WOLVERINE!"

"No!"

Sabretooth's order for Omega Red to stand down was given too late. He had already let go of Hide, and aimed his tentacles at Kuzuri. Kuzuri deftly avoided them as he charged towards Omega Red and gave him a series of punches to his gut. This prompted Wild Child to attack Kuzuri, which made Kane get in on the action as well. Kuzuri was skilled enough to fight off all three of them at first, but their numbers and abilities would soon turn the fight in their favor. Hide immediately got out of the way, but still stayed close by to search for anything to help his friend escape. He eventually finds an unused grenade lying on the ground.

" _How massively convenient…_ "

Hide unpins it and throws it on the floor. Sabretooth was momentarily distracted by the fight to notice Hide getting away, but hears something metallic thrown to the floor. He sees it and alerts his team.

"GRENADE!"

Everyone heard the word and immediately stopped what they were doing. The grenade went off, which turned out to be smoke. It clouded everyone's vision, which worked out for Hide.

"Kaneki!"

Kuzuri hears that name, and immediately rushed to Hide's direction.

" **Nice one. Let's get out of here.** "

Hide at first was confused as to why Kaneki still wore his mask and sounded like a completely different person, but pushed those questions aside for now to focus on escaping. The two rushed for the elevator. Sabretooth, meanwhile, derided Omega Red for acting on his anger.

"ARKADY! What the hell was that?! I did not give you the order to kill X-24!"

"You said part of Wolverine's mind was in X-24, no? When he sound like him, I knew Wolverine was alive. I WANTED MY VENGANCE!"

Sabretooth punched him in the face for his insubordination.

"YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH A GRUDGE! But we have our orders. It's only a matter of time before Wolverine has to give back control to his pussy of a son! We'll chase him down until that happen. Am I clear?"

Victor's team all gave him a glare of impatience. He snarls loudly to reinforce rank.

"AM I CLEAR?!"

All nodded to his orders.

"They probably already made it to the elevator. Agent Zero's still around to track them as soon as they make it outside. Let's move!"

xxxxxx

In the elevator, both Kuzuri and Hide caught up with their breath from escaping and running towards the elevator. Hide was the first to talk.

"Kaneki, you okay?"

He sees his friend catching up with his breath.

"Nice mask. Who made it?"

" **A guy by the name of Uta. He owns this shop that specializes in masks. Yoshimura thought I needed one.** "

Hide was slightly taken aback by the deeper voice.

"Dude, what's with your voice?"

" **Voice modulator. I asked for it. Helps me sound like I used to. More or less.** "

Hide then remembered what Sabretooth said earlier. About a part of Wolverine's brain integrated with Kaneki's.

"I'm…not speaking with Kaneki now? Am I?"

Kuzuri sighed a little before confirming Hide's suspicions.

" **No. It's me, his old man.** "

Hide punched him in the face.

" **What the hell?!** "

"What did you do with Kaneki?"

Kuzuri got up and explained.

" **Nothing. He's…not in a good place right now.** "

The elevator opened, and they instantly ran for the front entrance. Kuzuri explained as they ran.

" **Sometimes he would let me take over for him. To do things he couldn't do.** "

The explanation perplexed Hide.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Kuzuri groaned at the idea of further explaining how switching minds worked while they ran for their lives.

" **Since Kaneki and I share a mind, that means body control can switch between us. The first time was when that Nishio punk tried to eat you in front of Kaneki.** "

"Yeah I kind of remember-"

" **GET DOWN!** "

As soon as the two stepped outside of the underground lab and into the city, Kuzuri caught a whiff of gunpowder and metal coming towards both him and Hide at such alarming speed. He pushed Hide down with himself to avoid getting hit. Kuzuri them looked at where the bullet came from. Hide asked,

"What happened?"

" **Sniper in the area. We gotta move to more cover!** "

Both got up and went to the nearest alley. From a far distance, Agent Zero called Sabretooth.

"Victor, I just spotted the target. I got him on the run."

"Acknowledged. Keep me updated on their positions."

"I got my eyes in the sky."

Agent Zero had with him not just a sniper rifle, but also a laptop with nine different screens. Within the sky were drones that hacked into Tokyo's surveillance system. Any and all cameras where Kuzuri was spotted, the drones would update him on his position.

"It's not my usual thing, but the re-acquisition of X-24 demands I step outside my comfort zone."

"Just keep an eye on those boys, Zero."

"Roger that."

Zero kept an eye on his laptop as he saw Kuzuri and Hide run from Sabretooth's group. They ran from said group from within the alleyways of the 11th ward.

" **You see them?** "

"No, I think we lost them."

The two stopped running for now.

" **Alright. Let's walk for a little bit.** "

"But, what about your mask?"

" **I'd be more than happy to take it off, but that would mean talking in Kaneki's voice.** "

Hide thought about it a little.

"You should take it off. Even though the public still don't know about how Rize died, your mask is still recognizable by the Investigators."

" **Still don't know?** "

"The GCB doesn't release footage of how they slay ghouls due to public order. Double for mutants using their powers to kill them. They do everything in their power to prevent a resurgence of mutant vigilantism."

Kuzuri was a little surprised to hear that video footage of him killing Rize with his mask on was not featured on the news or leaked on the internet.

" **So, people in general don't know about Kuzuri.** "

"No, only the Investigators."

After taking a moment to think, Kuzuri decided to take his mask off. However, that would soon not become an option as he heard something metallic that also slithered. He looked behind him to see one of Omega Red's tentacles.

" **We got to move!** "

Hide also see the tentacle and runs as well. As they ran, Kuzuri saw a shadow passing over him.

"You can run, but you can't hide from us, X-24!"

Kuzuri heard Sabretooth's voice from behind as well. The two eventually made it to the open street, in a crowd of people. Omega Red extended his tentacle further, but Sabretooth prevented him from having it out in the open where people could see it.

"Hold it!"

"Victor…"

"HEY! We can't be seen in public."

"Then how are we supposed to get X-24?"

Said Wild Child as he leapt down.

"Zero has eyes everywhere. We know what the kid looks like with and without the mask on."

"Perhaps, but what about that friend of his?"

"He's just a human. No threat. He'll probably ditch him for his own safety. We stay frosty until then. Besides, Kane can take it from here."

Meanwhile, Kuzuri and Hide continued to walk until they spotted a nearby café.

" **Let's stop here for a while.** "

The two entered the café, and sat down at a table farthest from the entrance. Some of the people that saw Kuzuri in his mask were a little weirded out by him. They thought of him as a cosplayer.

"I think we're good for now."

" **Next order of business.** "

"First, take that off."

" **Why?** "

Hide pointed out to the people who saw him with his mask on.

" **Fair enough.** "

Logan took off his mask and continued the conversation. Albeit in Kaneki's voice and in a gruff manner.

"Okay, we need to figure out our next move."

"Here's what we know so far. They want Kaneki back because he was their experiment. Obviously, we can't do that."

"But they're gonna keep us on the run. This may be the only break we have."

"So let's make it count. Like, do you know their weaknesses?"

"Sure, but even then, I'm outnumbered 5 to 1."

"Wait, I only counted four guys."

"Agent Zero is probably with them."

"Agent Zero?"

"Special Ops mutant. He's only got a healing factor, alongside senses sharper than mine. Makes him a hell of a gunman and fighter."

Hide sighed at the ridiculous lengths Wolverine's enemies are going in order to get Kaneki.

"So, how do we get away from them?"

"We don't. They'll chase Kaneki to the ends of the country to get him back."

Hide silently seethed at the idea of Kaneki running for his life.

"Which is why I need for you to go to Anteiku."

"Why?"

"Yoshimura knows who exactly who to call to fight these guys. Tell him to get both Piotr and Danny Rand. Tell him that Kaneki's life is in danger right now."

Just then, the café door rang once more. Logan took a look at who came in. It was revealed to be Kane wearing his usual outfit alongside a leather hoodie.

"You got to go. Now."

Hide sees Kane as well.

"I'll distract him. You find the back way of this place and head for the 20th ward."

Hide nodded as Logan put on his mask. Kane sees this and says to him,

"You really want to get it on-"

Kuzuri wasted no time as he punched Kane in the gut hard, causing to him to keel over. The people in the café were shocked to see this, but that did not bother Kuzuri that much. He then punched him in the face a couple of time before he executed a tornado crescent kick right on the right side of his jaw, which made him crash on a nearby table. The patrons and staff of the café were shocked by the sudden violence. Kuzuri said to one of the staff,

" **Sorry for the mess.** "

He ran outside of the café and into the crowd. He put on his hood while wearing his mask. Back in the café, Kane got up and chased after Kuzuri. He lost him for now. He then made a call.

"Zero, I need a location on X-24."

"Never lost my eye on him. He's heading east for now. Look for a kid wearing a black hoodie with a red stripe on both arms."

"Acknowledged."

Kane gave chase while Hide headed for the 20th ward.

xxxxxx

(Anteiku)

It was just another work day for the staff. And yet, an atmosphere of worry hung over them. The staff were worried for Kaneki's safety. It was only yesterday, but him walking out of them felt like such a shock to them. None more so than Hinami, who spent the whole day in her room, worrying about Kaneki for hours on end. She would only step out of her room for food and coffee. She was not the only one. Touka felt the same as well, but for different reasons. As she stood at the bar, drying some teacups she has washed earlier, she recalled that she wanted to say something to Kaneki for quite some time, but regretted not doing it sooner.

 _flashback_

When lunch period came around, she was sitting on her desk, this time with a more elaborate lunch. She had a bag lunch that had a meat sandwich cut in two, a bottle of water, and a small salad. Yoriko commented on Touka's lunch.

"Wow Touka. You're actually eating something with actual value."

"It's just something I bought at a nearby convenience store. It's nothing special."

"Usually you would just have a sweet bun and call it a day. You really want to take care of yourself."

"Well, at the very least, I wanted to shake things up today."

Yoriko took out her bento box with food she made herself. One of the first things she picked was a piece of meat, slathered in a type of sauce.

"If you really want to shake things up, try this."

Touka looked at the meat Yoriko placed in front of her with her chopsticks. Whereas before, Touka looked at her friend's lunches with indifference, this time the meat looked tantalizing for her.

"Wanna try? You know you want to."

Said Yoriko in a cloying yet persuasive manner. Touka took up on her offer and ate the meat. She chews on it for a little.

"Well, how's it taste?"

Within Touka's mind was a maelstrom of emotions, all positive due to what she put in her mouth. When she tasted Li Wong's food at his restaurant, Touka could not get enough of it. It was the first time she ever ate human food, and it made her feel ecstatic and thrilled to know that this is why humans cannot get enough of this. Even though she ate more human food afterwards, she believed that they paled in comparison to what she ate the Crane of the Blue Pond. Until today. When she ate a piece of Yoriko's cooking, what she felt was akin to a warm embrace that that would leave behind bliss and longing. She soon swallowed it. Yoriko then asked Touka,

"So, do you like it?"

Tears streamed through Touka's eyes. The emotions that came with eating Yoriko's home-cooked meals overwhelmed her. This made her friend concerned.

"Touka, are you alright?"

"I love it."

"What?"

"I love it! It's the most beautiful thing I ever ate!"

The positive criticism elated Yoriko.

"You mean it?!"

"Of course I do! I never thought that food could be more than just nourishment."

"Of course it's not just nourishment! It can be an art unto itself!"

"Oh my god, just what the hell have been eating all this…"

Touka started to cry a little as memories of her eating humans to survive started to hit her like a ton of bricks. Now enjoying something that her best friend made the guilt weigh heavy on her soul. Yoriko consoled her by sitting next to Touka and hugging her.

 _end_

She had a sad look on her face that was instantly dispelled when she heard the door slam open. She almost dropped the teacup she was holding when both the slam and someone yelling her name surprised her.

"TOUKA!"

As soon as she gripped the teacup, she looks to see who it was that yelled her name. She then saw Hide in a panicked state.

"Hide? What are you doing here?"

"Can we talk somewhere private?"

Touka knew that he did not want to disturb the customers here.

"Back here."

Touka led Hide to the employee locker room. Once there, they began their talk.

xxxxxx

(GCB Branch Office, 20th ward)

Piotr rushed to the office of the head of the GCB, 20th ward. He felt the need to alert his fellow Investigators of an impending situation. Since his case involved both ghouls and Kuzuri, he felt it was urgent to notify his superiors. Before he did so, he went to pick up a certain witness, bring him to said headquarters, and had him wait at the lobby until he was called for. When Piotr finally made, he found that Amon was there, speaking very loudly to the branch director, Goemon Kamibochi. He was a man in his mid-40's with tanned skin, but possessed a muscular build. He also had a bleached-blond mustache and goatee on his face.

"Director, I request once again that you allow me to capture the vigilante mutant, Kuzuri."

"I cannot allow that, Amon. Although the larger responsibility of the GCB is to maintain the peace of Japan, affairs involving mutants are solely in the purview of the police."

"Sir, he does possess connections to ghouls. Specifically the rabbit, as well as No.745."

" _He must be referring to Hinami._ "

"What you are saying is circumstantial, at best. I'm not saying I don't believe you, Amon. But we haven't recovered the footage of the binge eater fighting Kuzuri. Nor did Kureo Madou's report ever reached my desk."

Both Amon and Piotr were surprised to hear that all information regarding Kuzuri was mysteriously wiped from the GCB's database.

"But…that shouldn't be possible."

"I agree. The cybersecurity our organization utilizes should be impenetrable. And yet, here we are. No information on Kuzuri, nothing on the girl ghoul you and your deceased partner were hunting, anything. Even the hard copies have vanished, for some reason."

"Perhaps I may know why."

Said Piotr, catching the attention on both Amon and Kamibochi.

"Piotr Rasputin. I thought you were reassigned to the 11th ward. Then again, the way they reassigned you was kind of bullshit."

"Excuse me. I know I have left post, but it is for important reasons. Specifically, it involves Kuzuri."

"Come closer and explain."

Piotr did just what his former director asked of him.

"First, I must be honest. I know who Kuzuri is."

Both men were shocked to hear what Piotr just said.

"You knew who he was, and you didn't say anything?!"

"At first no, Amon. However, from what I heard of the mutation Kuzuri possessed, it gave credence to who I imagined it to be. I do not know how he is involved with ghouls. However, you must understand. It is what I have learned afterwards that may explain why he is in company of ghouls."

Kamibochi was patient enough to hear the full story from Piotr. Amon, however, felt his frustration rising.

"Damn it, Piotr! Who is he?!"

"Amon, calm down."

"I'm sorry, sir, but I simply cannot wait any longer. Kuzuri is involved in the death of Mr. Madou. I want to know how."

"He's getting to that."

"Kuzuri was not involved in the death of Kureo Madou. It was another mutant. One who was involved in group of underground organization that experiments with both mutant and ghoul DNA."

Both now felt horrified at the idea of somebody fusing the genetic traits of mutants and ghouls together. Kamibochi then asked,

"What proof do you have of this?"

"Yesterday, a young mutant by the name of Kan Kaneki, a student from Kami University, was see involving in a standoff between another mutant and Daniel Rand."

"Hm-mm…sounds familiar…"

"It was on local news yesterday. By the time he posted bail, an incident occurred at the police station where said mutant was detained. It was revealed to be a jailbreak orchestrated by his allies on the outside."

"My god. So, this mutant that was involved in the jailbreak…is he involved in this underground organization?"

"Da. I have brought with me eyewitness to corroborate story. His name is Hideyoshi Nagachika, a personal friend of Ken Kaneki. He was present when this information was being given by leader of group attempting to reacquire Mr. Kaneki."

"Reacquire?"

asked Amon, to which Piotr responded,

"You will have to hear it from him, Amon."

Kamibochi took it as his cue to call the front desk.

"Is there someone by the name of Hideyoshi Nagachika in the lobby?"

"…"

"Send him in to my office."

After waiting for five minutes, Hide finally entered the office of the Branch director.

"Mr. Nagachika, I presume?"

"Yes sir, Mr.…"

"Goemon Kamibochi. Have a seat, young man."

Hide did so while also looking at Piotr and Amon before facing his attention at the branch director.

"Investigator Rasputin here tells me that you're an eyewitness to some pertinent event. I must tell you that anything you say here is strictly confidential."

"Yes sir. May I please begin?"

"You may."

Hide gave an account of what he had seen both yesterday and earlier today; About the underground laboratory that currently exists in the 11th ward, about how he had heard about how his friend, Kaneki, was being hunted down by rogue mutants, but most importantly, about Akihiro Kanou, who seemed to save his life. But in reality, he was nothing more than a mad scientist with no regard for the sanctity of life and who viewed his best friend as a lab rat. With help from Piotr, he gave a carefully crafted account of events without mentioning the Anteiku ghouls that were involved. When Hide finished, both men within the room expressed mortification at how such an operation occurred under their purview. Hide said one last thing before leaving.

"Please help me save Kaneki. He's been through too much."

"You have my word, Mr. Nagachika. We will hunt down these mutants who are trying to kidnap your friend."

Hide stood up and bowed to the branch director. Piotr then said to him,

"Go wait in the lobby."

Hide nodded in acknowledgement to his request. After he left, Kamibochi remarked on Kaneki's origins.

"The son of Wolverine. Ken Kaneki. Is this the reason why you came to Japan, Mr. Rasputin?"

"That came later, sir. I came here to find purpose in life again. After the X-Men disbanded, I wandered before making GCB my duty in life. However, when I was contacted by Professor X about how young Kaneki was found alive but with case of amnesia, I was, surprised to say the least. I have kept eye on him in between duties. He had led quiet life until recent events."

"He was involved in the incident at the 8th ward, I'm assuming?"

"Yes. He is student of Daniel Rand and…"

"Why dies this even matter? He's involved in ghouls."

"Only tangentially, Amon. While he may need some measure of direction, the fact of the matter is this. Ken Kaneki is a victim of a madman, devoid of humanity and possesses a deviant knowledge of medicine. The priority of this office is to hunt down the rogue mutants, track down this organization, and destroy it. While we are preoccupied with a growing situation, this danger is more pertinent. Mr. Rasputin."

"Da?"

"I want you to take point. You will operate a search and rescue operation of Ken Kaneki while also apprehending the rogue mutants of Weapon X."

"Da. But I will need manpower for this."

"Granted. Kotaro Amon, you and a squad of Investigators will assist Mr. Rasputin for this…"

Just then, the phone within Kamibochi's office just rang.

"Yes?"

"…"

"WHAT?!"

Both Amon and Piotr were curious as to what surprised the branch director.

"There's chaos in the 9th ward. Ken Kaneki is in the middle of it. And it's getting so bad, it's on the news."

xxxxxx

(earlier)

Kuzuri continued to walk with Kane a few feet behind him. Staying within the crowds of people helped him a lot, but the size slowly became smaller as he walked on. Kuzuri knew he would have no choice but to run. The choices, limited, to say the least. Either he could run to a nearby alley and encounter Sabretooth, fight his team, and lose. Or he could run into the open street, risking an encounter with the doves who are also hunting him. Kuzuri was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"Damned if you do, damned if you don't."

Kuzuri chose the hard place and ran into the streets. It was close to an intersection with one glass building on the right side and a concrete building on the left. The glass one was 300 feet tall while the concrete one was 550 feet. The space between them 700 square feet. This was what Agent Zero measured as he looked at Kuzuri through the city's surveillance cameras he hacked into with his drones. He realized that Kuzuri wanted to be captured by the CGB. He alerted Victor of this development.

"We got a problem. X-24 is running into open space."

"What's in open space?"

"Traffic, people, and a couple of doves heading in less than two minutes."

"Is Kane nearby?"

Zero tapped a few keys on his laptop, switching monitor feeds to find one where he could see Kane.

"A few feet away from the kid."

Victor hung up and called Kane.

"Kane. A couple of doves are getting near X-24. We're on our way, but intercept him before he could get to him."

"Roger that."

Kane hung up, and searched for the hoodie Kuzuri wore last time he saw him. It took him a minute before he found who he was looking for. He ran toward Kuzuri before he could get to the doves. Unfortunately, focusing on the target momentarily distracted him from everything else around him as a speeding car rapidly came close to crashing into Kane. The loud sound of tires skidding caught his attention, and punched the front hood of the car with so much force that he accidently made the car flip and fly over him. Both the driver and the people were shocked to see a man with metal arms in broad daylight. This caught Kuzuri's attention as well.

" _This ain't good._ "

People started screaming and running for their lives as soon as Kane started running toward Kuzuri. He waited for his foe to get closer, and as Kane did, Kuzuri performed a high jump to avoid collision. Kane stopped and growled a little as he missed his target. He also sees X-24 putting his mask on as a sign of confrontation.

"So, he's getting serious. Well…"

He punches a nearby wall.

"So am I."

He growls loudly as he ran closer to Kuzuri. When threw his first punch, it hit him and caused Kuzuri to fly across the street, hitting a moving car. The driver inside panicked and quickly got out of his vehicle in fear for his life. Kuzuri slowly got up, only to see Kane standing over him.

"You're coming with me, X-24."

"FREEZE!"

Kane looks back to see two men in suits, pointing their guns at him.

"You just stand right there! Don't move a muscle. Ibuki, call the office."

As Ibuki did, Kane was unfazed by the gun the dove pointed at him. He slowly walked toward him.

"I said stay where you were!"

"You really think that peashooter of yours scares me?"

"Last time! Stay or I will…!"

"Shoot? Go ahead. I just had it up to here with all this interference."

The dove shot at Kane as he promised. Although the Q-bullets bounced off his arms, some of them pierced his body. At first, it hurt Kane. But slowly, he got over it. The dove who shot him was shaken to see how the gunshot wound did not stop him as he hoped it would.

"Nice try."

Kane grabbed the dove by the head with both hands and proceeded to squeeze the literal living daylights out of him. The loud, bloodcurdling screams terrified everyone who stuck around to see what the chaos was about.

 _SNIKT!_

That would soon stop when Kuzuri stabbed Kane on both sides of his mid-body. This caused him to let go of the dove he tried to kill, and scream in pain. Kuzuri then leaned to the left to say to the doves,

" **Run! NOW!** "

Ibuki lifted his partner and got away from the two mutants. Before, he alerted the GCB branch office in the 9th ward about the situation. That call made the rounds of every branch office in all of Tokyo, including the home office in the 1st ward. Not only that, the people who were recording or livestreaming the situation on their smartphones soon got the attention of the local city news. It would not be long when a news van would report the ongoing chaos going on in the 9th ward. Before that, Sabretooth, Wild Child and Omega Red would arrive to assist Kane in the capture of X-24. Victor sees Kane facing off against him, and gave orders to his men.

"Red, use the cars for a makeshift barrier, then make sure no one interferes. Nothing stops us from capturing the target. Wild Child, we're taking X-24. By any means necessary."

Both nodded in response to their orders. Omega Red used his tentacles to lifts the cars to create a ring wide enough for all of them to fight in while also minimizing outside interference. While Sabretooth and Wild Child went to help Kane capture X-24. Kuzuri picked up three more scents, and instantly recognized them. He took his claws out of Kane and moved in order to take on his new opponents. As he ran toward them, Wild Child did a flying kick to his face, but Kuzuri dodged it. However, that was what Sabretooth wanted him to do as he extended his claws to deal a powerful claw uppercut, resulting in a deep bloody cut. Kuzuri staggered back from the damage of the wound, and stood to let it heal on its own as his claws retracted. Sabretooth then spoke to him.

"This is it, X-24! You're coming home with us. Whether you like it or not."

As they stood, police cars soon came to the scene. The officers see the people recording the chaos and proceeded to escort them from the situation for their own safety. A news helicopter came afterwards. A clear indication that this was now national news. Across the island nation of Japan, Kuzuri's fight against the mutants of Weapon X could be seen by thousands of people. None more so than those in Anteiku. Kuzuri was all by himself in the ring created by Omega Red, who would soon join in on the fight.

"Barrier is secured. It will be while before GCB doves get here."

"Then let's get to it."

Sabretooth then stared at Kuzuri as both sides were ready for battle.

"Any last words, runt?"

" **Just two.** "

 _SNIKT! SNIKT!_

Before he charged toward the Weapon X mutants, one of the cars was being moved aside by a familiar costumed enhanced individual. Wild Child sees this and says,

"Crap. Not him again."

Kuzuri was shocked to see him as well.

" **Shifu?** "

"Good to see you again, my student. I've been worried about you for quite some time."

" **Did Piotr alert you?** "

"He did. I'm here to help."

The civilian crowd cheered for the Iron Fist arriving. Danny summoned his chi in preparation for the fight. Both stood ready as they took on a fighting pose. Sabretooth then revised his orders.

(play _Dark Man Stage_ _[_ _remix] – Super Smash Brothers Ultimate OST_ )

"Wild Child, we take on X-24. Kane, Red. Take down Iron Fist. Go!"

The four yelled at the top of their lungs before they charged toward their opponents, as did Kuzuri and Iron Fist. The two sides charged and brawled with each other with fists and claws flying, bodies flipping just to either land attacks or avoiding them. While Sabretooth and Wild Child fought with Kuzuri with the agility and fierceness of animals, Omega Red aimed his tentacles at Iron Fist while Kane continued his charge. Iron Fist dodged the tentacles as he inched closer to Kane. He blocked one of the punches with his right arm.

"Your arms are stronger than steel, but your body isn't."

Iron Fist soon found himself being wrapped in Omega Red's steel tentacles. He then lifted Iron Fist a few feet into the air and slammed him to the ground at least three times. Iron Fist struggled to free himself.

"That's not all tentacles can do."

His tentacles then gave a soft glow, and soon Iron Fist began to feel physically weak.

"What's…happening?"

"I am siphoning your power, Iron Fist. Soon you will be just as weak as any other human."

While he felt he still had energy, Iron Fist concentrated his chi from his arms to the center of his body. As he did, his focus got intense and it showed. The chi went from his arms to his chest. The dragon tattoo started to glow intensely until said glow spread all over his body. This resulted in a shockwave that forced Omega Red to let go of Iron Fist. This shocked both Red and Kane as they looked at Iron Fist completely covered in a golden glow.

"No holding back now!"

Omega Red lunged his tentacles at Iron Fist once more, but was stopped midway when he was suddenly tackled by a familiar steel-skinned mutant, who was followed by a team, consisting of ten Investigators from the GCB.

"Piotr!"

"Good to see you again, Daniel Rand. Do you need help?"

"Always appreciated."

"I will handle tentacle man. You handle cyborg."

"Got it."

The glow from his body faded, leaving only his arms still glowing. Kane sees this and asks,

"Running out of steam?"

"Just prioritizing power output."

As they fought, Piotr engaged with Omega Red. Red started to swing his tentacles around like whips. When they hit Piotr with them, it only caused minor pain on him.

"You will have to do better than that to hurt me!"

He then noticed his opponent muttering in his native language.

"Russkiy, ya polagayu?" ( **Russian, I presume?** )

"Chto iz etogo?!" ( **What of it?!** )

"Chto vy dolzhny poluchit' ot pokhishcheniya mal'chika?" ( **What do you have to gain from kidnapping boy?** )

"Dolgozhdannaya mest'!" ( **A long-awaited vengeance**!)

"Togda, radi nego, ya dolzhen otkazat' vam v vashem poroke." ( **Then, for his sake, I must deny you your vice.** )

The two charged at each other, locking hands as they clashed. Although Omega Red had ferocity in ample supply, Piotr's strength was slightly greater than his own. Just enough to be slowly overpowered by him. He then used his tentacles to wrap Piotr's arms and neck, incapacitating him. Omega Red then siphoned his strength from his body. Piotr could feel himself weakened with every second passing as he kneeled. Omega Red sees him in a weakened state, which caused him to grin in satisfaction. Although put in a position of eventual exhaustion, his resilience was not to be underestimated. He got back up and roared as he charged toward Red and headbutted him as a result. This affected Omega Red as he lost focus, causing the grip of his tentacles to loosen. Piotr soon freed himself, and gave him a beatdown borne out of aggravation. The remaining strength Piotr had left was directed into his punches. Each blow he gave to Omega Red brought him closer to victory over this mutant who attempted to take away the son of his old comrade from his X-men days, and made him into a weapon against his will. Each punch that struck either his body or face eventually resulted in the knockout blow that put Omega Red out of commission. The people, as well as the Investigators who came with him, cheered. Save Amon, who was also there. Meanwhile, Iron Fist was still in his fight against Kane. The fight was similar to their previous one during the Tsukiyama incident, except these two men now knew what the other was capable of. Iron Fist was impressed as to how Kane was holding up.

"You've gotten better from last time."

"Last time, I didn't know how to defend myself from your fighting style. Now I do."

"You've learned king-fu in between then and now?"

"I've downloaded every technique associated with it into my brain. I know every fighting move you're gonna make!"

Kane gave five punches, two he missed at first, but the remaining three dealt great pain at Iron Fist.

"Now you see! I'm superior to you!"

Iron Fist used his chi to mitigate some of the pain Kane gave him, but it slowly began to wane.

"Knowledge isn't the same as experience. Kung-Fu must not be just learned, it must be lived. Otherwise, you're just an acrobatic thug."

Kane yelled as he charged at Iron Fist. He stood still in a meditative stance with his arms at his side, and allowed his opponent to do so. As Kane got close, Iron Fist thrusted his right arm at Kane. However, it was not a punch. Iron Fist used his index finger to hit a specific spot on Kane's body. The spot was his heart, which gave him a mild cardiac arrest. The shocked look on his face, accompanied with the agony of his stilted breathing, made everyone who was watching the chaos in the 9th ward look on with pure astonishment. Iron Fist then transferred his remaining chi into his left arm, and sliced off his cybernetic arms clean off from Kane's body. The way he used chi in his left arm was that of a sword sharp enough to slice lesser metals. Kane could breathe again, only to yell out in pain over his sudden armless state. Iron Fist then push-kicked him in the chest, causing Kane to fall flat on his back. He then looked at how his student was currently faring. He then sees Kuzuri using everything he taught him in his dojo.

" _Impressive. He's become a capable fighter._ "

Kuzuri dodged both Sabretooth's and Wild Child's claw swipes with relative ease. Whatever hit he did receive from his foes, his healing factor would reverse the damage. Although Sabretooth was patient, Wild Child grew frustrated as he felt the fight gone on too long due to the fact that Kuzuri landed more hits on him than the reverse.

"Damn it! Just die already!"

" **Make me, elf!** "

That last remark made Wild Child angrier that before. Sabretooth could see this.

"Don't let him get to you! He wants you to be angry!"

Wild Child ignored Sabretooth as he yelled like an animal and continued to hit Kuzuri to no avail, while Kuzuri landed a couple more blows to him. Kuzuri then retracted his claws. Which made Wild Child feel insulted by such a gesture.

"Not going to take me seriously now?!"

" **Something like that.** "

Kuzuri knew what to do to take down Wild Child. He waited for him to get closer so he could perform a series of punches and kicks to knock him out so he could be put back in jail. As Wild Child got closer to him; Kuzuri did a front snap kick, punched him in the gut two times, same to his face, performed a tornado front kick on his face, grabbed him by the shoulders, did a knee kick to his gut, punched him in the face three more times, and finally finished him off with a turn side kick. These series of martial art moves resulted Wild Child's defeat at Kuzuri's hands. The accumulated blows forced Wild Child to fall over as his grip on his consciousness slipped with each strike Kuzuri dealt to him. The crowd cheered at the sight of a superhero triumphing over a supervillain. Including those who were watching at Anteiku. While they looked on with excitement and pride, Touka and Hinami looked on in relief that Kaneki was more than alright.

( _end music_ )

Sabretooth looked at his team with somber disappointment. He sees Kane, laying on the ground on his back like a turtle on its shell. He sees both Omega Red and Wild Child knocked out. He then looks at the people who defeated them. A few investigators eventually circled around Sabretooth after clearing the makeshift barrier Omega Red created earlier, with the rest keeping an eye of those who had fallen.

"You've got quite the collection of friends, X-24. Bet they really care about you."

Kuzuri stepped forward a little.

" **What about it?** "

"Well, my team only obeyed my orders because they wanted payback against you. More importantly, against Logan. Your father. They all had a grudge against him. And they're not the only ones. But… they all pale in comparison… TO ME!"

Sabretooth's back started to judder until crimson tentacles emerged. However, they looked familiar to both Kuzuri and Amon.

" **But that's…** "

"The binge eater's kagune!"

Sabretooth snarled as one of his eyes turned black and red. Like a ghoul.

"Wolverine was my brother in arms, and he abandoned me! And when he got his adamantium skeleton, he became stronger than me! I couldn't accept that! IF I CAN'T HAVE MY VENGEANCE ON THE FATHER, I'LL SETTLE FOR THE SON!"

Sabretooth lunged his kagune toward Kuzuri, but just as it closed in on him, Kuzuri did three flips to get some distance between him and the kagune. He was ready to take on Sabretooth, but Piotr and Iron Fist stood in front of him.

"Kaneki, get out of here!"

"We can handle him."

"Is that right?"

Said Sabretooth as both Piotr and Iron Fist charged toward him. However, due to the both of them close to fatigue, Sabretooth disposed of them with medium effort. However, before he could get to Kuzuri, the Investigators surrounding him charged.

" **No don't!** "

With a grin, Sabretooth dispatched of the Investigators with ease as well. Although they had quinques of their own, the mutant/ghoul hybrid experience and abilities made them easy picking for Victor. Kuzuri got angry and rushed to his foe with screaming rage. Sabretooth sees this and gets excited.

"NOW THIS IS A FIGHT!"

Sabretooth lunged the tentacles of his kagune toward Kuzuri, but he sidestepped in time to avoid the hit. With his left claw, Kuzuri stabbed Sabretooth in the gut. With his right, he attempted to stab him in his head, but Sabretooth used one of the kagune tentacles to defend himself and wrap it around his arms to incapacitate him. Sabretooth then used the rest of the tentacles to wrap the rest of Kuzuri's body.

"Well, this is got to feel familiar, eh Kaneki?"

Sabretooth enjoyed every moment he made the son of his hated enemy, Wolverine, feel helpless and powerless to his wrath. And Sabretooth felt so much hate for him. Everyone who witnessed this fight, whether in person or on the television, could see the joy expressed on the grin on Sabretooth's face. He then threw Kuzuri up in the air and rapidly struck him with his kagune. Although Kuzuri could regenerate his wounds, the pain was still too much for him to handle. Back in Anteiku, everyone who knew him feared for Kaneki's life in the hands of a monster like Sabretooth. None more so than Hinami, who had tears streaming through her face, and Touka, who covered her eyes during the more gruesome part of the broadcast. When Sabretooth finished, Kuzuri laid on the ground, seemingly dead. Sabretooth then gave a beastly roar in celebration of his victory, followed by a horrifying and maniacal laugh. However, he was no fool. He knew that Kuzuri would come back to try again. With his kagune out, he slowly approached Kuzuri to prevent it from happening. As he got closer, within his mind, Logan went to his son.

xxxxxx

(play _Nikes – Frank Ocean_ at 0:15)

The mindscape that Logan currently stood in was the same as before. A clear sky over a still water floor. Logan looks around to see his son still in the fetal position from before. He walked toward his son, kneeled down, and says to him,

"Get up."

He did not.

"Kaneki!"

He tried to get his son up. However, Kaneki stayed in his fetal position.

"Kaneki. You have to get up. Things are getting bad out there."

"Can't you handle it?"

Asked Kaneki in a tone that exhibited both sarcasm and spite. Logan sighed as he gave an honest answer.

"Not this time."

"Then what can I do?"

"You can still do a lot. It's your body. You know what to do with it better than I could."

"YOU'RE LYING! WHY SHOULD I DO ANYTHING?"

"Because it's your life."

Kaneki started crying.

"No, it's not. No, it's not…"

Misery and remorse weighed heavy on his mind and soul as he reflected on the people he killed in his early youth.

"None of it was mine. I am an animal. I'm nothing. Why should I do anything?! Why should I even live?"

Kaneki cried a little more, much to his father's disappointment.

"I want to die. I want to die so bad, but I can't. I'm cursed. I can't never die! AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! WHY DID I HAVE TO BE YOUR SON?! YOU DID NOTHING BUT MAKE MY LIFE MISERABLE! I HATE YOU! I HATE-"

Logan grabbed Kaneki by his collar and started to slap him five times. Kaneki then headbutted him and took out his claws.

"So, we're doing this."

 _SNIKT!_

The two fought with each other with claws out. The two stabbed each other over and over, and each time it happened, their wounds would heal themselves. Kaneki wanted to continue until he killed his father, but Logan could see the futility in it.

"You know what's gonna happen next."

Kaneki roared as he charged toward Logan. He stabbed his father in the gut. However, Logan did not fight back. Instead, he just hugged his son.

"Let it out, Kaneki."

Kaneki felt sorrowful and guilty once again, but this time, for attacking his own father and calling him a blight on his life. He cried once more as he retraced his claws and returned the hug his father currently gave him.

"I don't know how to go on. I just don't know. How can I live with this?"

"That's something you have to find out for yourself. I can't tell you how to live your life, I can only help you find what it is you need to survive. You're not the only one who's got blood on your hands."

 _(skip to 3:32_ )

Logan placed his hands on Kaneki's face, and showed him all the people he killed in his life. Just like him, it also weighed heavy on Logan as well. What made him different was that Logan either tried to shrug away the trauma, and fail, or to talk with his fellow X-Men about it. When he was open to the X-Men about it, he felt the weight of his sins lessen, if only a little. He knew he did things that left his hands stained, but they were held by people who care for him unconditionally. Kaneki saw his father happy with the people he called his family. When he got back to his mindscape, he stood speechless not out of shock, but contemplation. Logan could see that, and give him space to think. Kaneki remembered all the people that he had met in his life. Suddenly, all the people that he ever cared about appeared in front of him. It was the ghouls of Anteiku that first popped in front of them. They soon disappeared as he asked himself a question.

"Will they ever look at me the same way again if I told them what I did under mind control? Accept me the way they did before?"

"If they don't, then that's their problem. But…I doubt that's happening."

Kaneki then asked his father,

"How bad is it out there?"

"Very bad. I don't know that kagune like you do."

"Wait, I thought you handled that fight with Rize."

"No. That was all you. I just gave you a little boost. I remember our deal. However, you only used it twice. That time with Nishio and today. Every other fight, it was all you."

Kaneki was surprised to hear that in all the time he had to use his powers to defend himself or others was of his own volition and ability. He astonished himself.

"I…don't know how to move with what I've done…but I have to. If for nobody else, then…maybe for myself."

Logan placed his hand on Kaneki's shoulder.

"I'll be there to help you. Always. Me and other people as well."

Kaneki cried a little as he felt some empty part of him was fulfilled in that moment. He then wiped the tears from his face.

"Ok."

( _let music end on its own_ )

xxxxxx

Sabretooth inched closer to Kuzuri until he heard and felt gunshots on his person. His kagune tentacles reacted on their own in order to protect his head. Victor's healing factor kicked in soon after as the bullets were ejected from his body. He looked to see who was it that shot him, only to see a dove, Amon, holding a gun at him.

"That was you?"

"Damn straight!"

"You know that means I have to kill you."

All of a sudden, Sabretooth felt a stabbing sensation from his back. His kagune tentacle immediately struck whomever caused it. Only to miss. He turned around to see Kuzuri standing once more, only this time with a somber look on his face.

"Ready for round two, Kaneki?"

"I'm going to stop you Victor. Even if it means killing you."

"One more notch, am I right?"

"Except this time, I won't feel any regret putting you down like the animal you are!"

(play _Il Vento d'oro (Giorno's Theme) - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind OST)_

Victor felt mildly surprised when Kuzuri decided to talk to him in his regular voice while still wearing his mask, but dismissed it. For Kuzuri, however, he spoke to his enemy in his own voice to convey both his resolve and courage. Both stared at each other with intensity as they snarled for one moment before rushing towards each other. Sabretooth got his kagune to strike in every direction to get the upper hand on Kuzuri. Unfortunately, his opponent was too fast for him. To Sabretooth's shock and dismay, Kuzuri's movements were too swift for his kagune to catch up. No matter how close one of Sabretooth's tentacles got to hitting him, Kuzuri would simply move out of the way at a pace Sabretooth simply could not catch up to. The various flips and cartwheels Kuzuri proved himself capable of astounded not just his enemy, but also everyone who looked at him fighting Sabretooth. Including his loved ones in Anteiku. Touka's grip on Hinami's eyes loosened enough for her to get the hand covering her eyes of the way to see the news broadcast featuring the chaos in the 9th ward. She sees Kaneki in his mask moving at such a way that amazed her and got her cheering for Kaneki.

"Get him, Kaneki! Don't give up!"

Kuzuri then closed in on Sabretooth and dealt a series of punches to his gut at such a rapid and dizzying pace. Sabretooth found it difficult to function while Kuzuri currently punched his body at the same speed of a machine gun. He instinctively used his claws to starched away his scalp, but the mask initially proved itself too dense for his claws. He could only give surface starches until he created a rip after a succession of desperate attacks. Kuzuri felt his hair exposed to the world for one moment and instantly backed off. Sabretooth breathed heavily before saying,

"Guess that mask isn't that invincible after all!"

Amon saw up close how the fight was in Kuzuri's favor, but feared that the fight would spread out. He then yelled to his fellow investigators,

"We need to keep the fight contained! Don't let it get to the civilians!"

The Investigators nodded to his orders as they made sense. Piotr got up and told the Investigators watching the rogue mutants,

"I will keep eye on rogue mutants. Keep the ongoing situation contained."

They did so as Piotr summoned whatever strength he had to gathering the mutants both he and Iron Fist defeated. Danny got up as well to help.

"I'll get Kane. We'll watch them together."

As Iron Fist helped, Kuzuri closed in on Sabretooth once again, making his adversary believe that he was going to perform the same tactic again. Sabretooth would soon be proved wrong, for as soon as Kuzuri got close to him, he instantly leapt over him, and performed a roundhouse kick to the back of his head, leapt over him once more, punched him in the gut, did a spin hook kick to the face, and grabbed Sabretooth by his coat to headbutt him straight in the forehead. Kuzuri stopped for one moment to see that what he did gave him the desired results of disorienting Sabretooth. He took a gamble that the disorientation would take a long time to recover from.

 _SNIKT!_

Kuzuri used his claws to climb the concrete building, much to everyone's confusion. And yet, he continued to impress those who were watching him by ascending the concrete building at such a remarkable speed. Iron Fist took a small measure of pride in contributing to that. As Kuzuri climbed higher, Sabretooth regained his senses, and looked around to look for Kuzuri. He eventually finds him scaling the concrete building.

"What the hell is he trying to do?"

He used his kagune tentacles to climb the building as well. He dug them into the building to get altitude, and did it faster than Kuzuri could with his claws. Sabretooth smiled as he got closer to his enemy. Kuzuri stopped as he picked up a whiff of blood. He looks down to see Sabretooth chasing after him.

" _Just where I want you._ "

Kuzuri then retracted his claws and dropped straight at Sabretooth. Everyone, including Sabretooth himself, were absolutely dumbfounded as to why Kuzuri would do that. The answer would make itself apparent as Kuzuri landed on Sabretooth himself. His foe would be so distracted from trying to not fall at such a dangerous height that he would latch on to the concrete building as much as he could. Exactly as Kuzuri wanted it. He then punched Sabretooth in the face some more while also blocking some of his claw swipe attacks. Sabretooth soon pushed back Kuzuri to the building, sticking him to it with his own hands while readying one of his tentacles to give a killing blow. And yet, he did not take into account that Kuzuri's arms were free. It would prove to be his undoing as Kuzuri struck Sabretooth at vital spots of his body with his claws.

 _SNIKT!_

The sudden shock of being hit in the heart and stomach made Sabretooth lose concentration as his tentacles became limp. The two soon fell to the ground with Kuzuri using Sabretooth's limp body to soften his landing. He knew what he was doing, but his healing factor took a lot of time repairing his heart and stomach. By the time they were healed, he was too late to prevent Kuzuri using his body as a cushion. As soon as they two landed to the ground, Kuzuri performed four flips away from Sabretooth as he believed he would be angry for what he did. Sabretooth's loud, angry roar proved him correct.

" _He's really angry now. Well, I can be really angry too!_ "

Kuzuri summoned his berserker rage to max his own speed and strength as Sabretooth readied his kagune tentacle to rapidly attack Kuzuri with them. Kuzuri would retaliate by doing the same…

 _SNIKT!_

With his claws. The two assaulted each other while simultaneously yelling at each other.

"ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! "MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA!

ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA!

ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA!

ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA!

ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA!" MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA!"

The people, both on scene on watching on their televisions, were simply stunned to see the rapid collisions of crimson tentacles and silver claws on black-covered arms done at such fleeting speeds, it seemed something out of an anime. While some looked on in confusion, others looked at it with excitement. It was as if they were witnessing the best TV in their lives. Both sides at first, possessed no signs of slowing down. However, Piotr could see that Sabretooth was running out of kagune to hit with. Kuzuri as well. He kept it up until Sabretooth's kagune soon waned, to his dismay and panic. And yet, he could not. It would mean his death, and his current course of action only delayed the inevitable. As soon as he was out of kagune, Kuzuri stabbed both his heart and stomach once more. The battle now was in his favor. Sabretooth could only do nothing but pray that he would be shown mercy. However, Kuzuri made it known to him what was in his heart at that moment.

"Did you ever beg for any mercy from my father?"

Sabretooth nodded no.

"That's good. Because he didn't have any. At least not for you!"

Kuzuri roared as he sped toward the same building he climbed before to ram Sabretooth to it. He screamed in pain of the impact. Kuzuri then took his claws out of Sabretooth and retracted them. Sabretooth used the last of his strength to stand up. He wanted to attack Kuzuri badly, but could not do so. Kuzuri soundly beat him, in front of witnesses. He knew that his bosses at Weapon X would see the debacle of his defeat as his termination. Kuzuri summoned his berserker rage to rapidly punch Sabretooth's entire being. He did so as he yelled,

"ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA!"

Kuzuri then used his awesome strength to punch Sabretooth in the face so hard that his fist caused his skull crack into pieces. What was left of Sabretooth's head were pieces of his brain scattered over the concrete wall and sidewalk, as well as a huge splatter of blood on said wall.

( _let music end on its own_ )

Kuzuri breathed heavily as he walked away from Victor's headless corpse. As he walked away, the crowds cheered for Kuzuri killing the mutant/ghoul hybrid. Both on the scene and in their homes. None more so than his friends in Anteiku. He could hear the cheers a little as there was a loud ringing in his ears. His legs began to falter as exhaustion began to set in.

" _Damn it. Not again…_ "

However, what was different this time was that someone was there to catch him. Kuzuri looked up to see Iron Fist.

"Shifu…"

"You did great. Although that last finish was a little much…"

"Says the guy who opened a portal to hell."

Iron Fist laughed a little to the reply.

"Fair enough."

Amon looked on at Kuzuri with conflicting feelings. One of his fellow investigators approached him to ask a question.

"Mr. Amon, sir. Do we apprehend Kuzuri?"

He mulled on the question for a moment.

"No. Let him be for now. Let's focus on the mutants who allied themselves with that…monster hybrid."

Just as the investigators acted on his orders, a military helicopter arrived. Seemingly out of nowhere. Everyone who looked on saw in confusion as to why it was here. Some have even pointed out its type, which was a Boeing CH-47 Chinook. The investigators talked amongst themselves, speculating as to its purpose.

"Another helicopter."

"Looks military."

"Are they with the JSDF?"

"Did they notify the home office?"

Then another helicopter arrived, but this was an assault version. Amon sees it aiming its machine gun turrets on the streets.

"DUCK AND COVER!"

The assault helicopter shot its bullets into the streets, immediately dispersing the crowds of people within the area. The police officers went to the people to make sure they were not shot by the bullets. While the investigators took cover behind the cars Omega Red flipped over earlier. Piotr covered both Kuzuri and Iron Fist to protect them. The screams of the civilians woke up both Red and Wild Child. They would soon see a pair of helicopters hovering where they stood. Then the chinook descended unto the ground, and opened its side hatches. It was soon revealed that Agent Zero was on it, signaling them to get onboard. Wild Child went for Kane by heling him get up and head toward the chinook. Agent Zero took out a long, rectangular case that he opened afterwards. The contents revealed themselves to be spare arms for Kane. He then said to Wild Child.

"Re-arm Kane. I'm gonna get Victor's body."

"Shouldn't we leave it?"

"Doc said to recover it. Won't take long."

Agent Zero got off the chopper, and went to pick up Victor's body. While he did so, Amon peeked to see what was happening after the gunshots. He sees a man in a full wool outfit with visors on his eyes picking up Sabretooth's headless body.

"Hey!"

Amon aimed his gun at him, but Agent Zero was quicker to the draw as he shot the gun from Amon's own hands. The shot also stung his hand as he winched. Agent Zero soon recovered the body, and gave the pilot of the chinook an order.

"Get us out of here!"

The chinook ascended into the sky and exited Japanese airspace with the assault chopper following. Everyone on the ground could only look as to who those mutants were. Kuzuri then asked Piotr,

"Were they with Weapon X?"

"It is strong possibility."

"What next?"

"Next part is somewhat difficult to explain."

xxxxxx

(GCB Branch Office, 20th ward)

Kaneki was in a holding cell alongside his shifu, Daniel Rand. Danny made a call to the same lawyer that got him out jail when he fought Wild Child earlier. However, the GCB definitely had a lot of questions in mind, and Ken Kaneki seemed to be in the middle of it. Hence, he was stuck in a confined space. Thankfully, he was with someone who showed infinite patience and compassion to him.

"Sorry to put you into this position like this, Shifu."

"It's fine, Kaneki. It's not like you wanted all this."

"Being turned into a tool of bloodshed by amoral monsters and having them hunt me down like an animal. Definitely not on my bucket list."

Danny chuckled a little.

"Don't think it's on anyone's. Still, you wanted answers one way or another."

"Right now…I'm starting to regret it a little."

Danny started to feel a little guilty about leaving his student to find out such a devastating truth by himself.

"I really wish I was with you when you decided to find out your past. I owed you that much for what you did for me."

"Don't be sorry, Shifu. You did the best you could with me. Guess I'm more broken than I thought I was. Even though I didn't want to, I still got blood on my hands."

"You're not the only one, Kaneki."

He sighed a little before he asked,

"How do I move on from this?"

"One step at a time. You're not alone in this, Kaneki. That's a promise."

Kaneki then remembered Logan saying the same thing back in his mindscape. Kaneki smiled a little when he heard from someone outside of his own head. The cell door opened as Piotr stepped inside.

"What's the verdict?"

"They will not press charges against both of you."

"That's good news."

Said Danny in a relieved tone of voice.

"Da. Many elements of Kaneki's story checked out with subsequent investigations into said elements."

Kaneki was curious to one of the things Piotr said.

"Investigations? Which ones?"

"The CGB have sent men to look into the secret laboratory in the 11th ward that you and Hide discovered. We have also sent investigators to interrogate the man who allowed Akihiro Kanou to continue ghoul experiments that were performed on you. However, we ran into…snag."

"Snag?"

"He was found dead in his office earlier in the morning."

Kaneki was shocked to hear the news.

"What was the cause?"

Asked Danny.

"Gunshot wound to the head. Most probably sniper rifle, from what ballistics report said. Nevertheless, the evidence that we have found is compelling reason to let Kaneki go."

"What about…"

"The higher-ups of the GCB felt that whatever associations you have with ghouls can be chalked to trauma. Kaneki, you do not need to worry. I am here to bring you home. As well as you, Daniel Rand."

Both nodded at Piotr before they left the cell. As they made their way to the lobby to exit the building, all the employees inside stopped what they were doing to look at the Kaneki. He felt weirded out by it.

"Why are they all staring at me?"

"They know that that, one time, you were a mutant/ghoul hybrid. Some of them still fear that you still may be one."

"But…that's not true."

"Da. But people will believe what they want to believe. It was similar to what I have experienced at one point."

Kaneki continued to look at the people staring at him. Some of them looked with curiosity, while others looked at him with disdain. Piotr placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Just bear with it, Kaneki. We are almost out."

Just as they neared the exit, Piotr heard his name being called out.

"Mr. Rasputin!"

"Chert Voz'mi." ( **Damn it.** )

Whispered Piotr as he turned to see who called out for him. He sees Amon walking toward him.

"Mr. Amon. I would like to help you right now, but I must return Ken Kaneki home."

"I acknowledge that, sir. However, I like to talk to him first."

Both Piotr and Danny assumed the worst. Kaneki stepped forward a little and said to them,

"I can handle this."

"You sure?"

Asked Danny, concerned for his student.

"More or less."

Both Kaneki and Amon met face-to-face.

"Ken Kaneki, I assume?"

"Yes. What do you want?"

"I just want to say that I know about the experiments conducted on you that tried to make you into a monster. I can't imagine what it must've been like for you to be one of ghouls that we, at the GCB, hunt in order for humans and mutants to live in peace. You have my condolences for such a traumatic experience."

"Thank you, Mr. Amon."

"However…"

Amon then gave Kaneki a punch in the face.

"I can't forgive you! My bosses may dismiss your association with the rabbit as misdirected sympathy, but I'm no fool! I know how you tried to defend that ghoul mother and daughter! I know that you showed mercy to the binge-eater when you had that bitch down, dead to rights! I KNOW HOW THE RABBIT KILLED MY PARTNER! You may have the city fooled. But, REST ASSURED, YOU ARE NO HERO! Kureo Madou was a better man than you could ever be. Of all the people he had to die for, he died for a mutant who preferred the company of ghouls."

Kaneki slowly turned his head at Amon after the punch with a serious look on his face.

"You spit on his legacy doing that!"

"Good."

He turned his back at both Amon and the rest of the doves as he exited the building. Back in the building, Amon felt festering animosity for Kuzuri. Him and many other doves who looked at his existence as an affront to life itself.

xxxxxx

(Anteiku)

It was a quiet drive back to the café where Kaneki wanted to come back to. When they arrived, all exited Piotr's SUV. Kaneki was mildly surprised to see Piotr sticking around.

"I thought you'd be heading back to the 11th ward."

"I have news that I wish to share Yoshimura with."

All entered the café, but not before finding the sign saying it was closed. They all enter, nonetheless, to find all everyone waiting for Kaneki to come back. He sees the worried looks on their faces and says,

"Hi everyone."

Hinami was the first to rush to his side and hug him so tightly that he never goes away again. Kaneki could feel her trembling as she did.

"I'm sorry that I worried you, Hinami."

He strokes her hair as a sign of apology.

"Welcome back."

She says with a somber tone of voice. Kaneki looks around to see smiles on the faces of those who've worked with him. He felt a sense of warmth, especially from a surprising face.

"Hide?"

"Hey man. Good to see you in one piece."

"I'm glad you delivered my message."

Hide was confused at first, but decided to go along with it.

"No problem, man. I have Touka to thank."

"Touka?"

She stepped forward to explain.

"At first, I didn't know whether or not to trust him, but…he made a compelling argument."

 _flashback_

"Okay, what is it that's got you in a frenzy?"

"Kaneki's in trouble. Some mutants are chasing after him all over Tokyo."

Touka immediately felt shocked as her fears came to pass.

"He told me to come here to talk with Yoshimura."

"Why?"

"Touka, I know everything."

Now she felt both scared and betrayed. Hide could see what was going through her mind.

"Kaneki didn't tell me. At first I thought it was just Nishio, but then I came to figure out what this place was."

"Then you know what I have to do."

Said Touka in a low, threatening voice as she brought out her kagune in front of Hide. He sees it and spoke the first word that came to mind.

"That's awesome…"

"DON'T EVEN TRY TO SWEET TALK ME! YOU THINK I WANT TO DO THIS?!"

Hide could see that she was conflicted at the idea of killing him. She believed that Kaneki would come to hate her if she did this.

"Touka, I'm making the same promise that Kaneki made to your boss."

She was once again surprised at Hide.

"What promise?"

"I'll keep this a secret and never come back here again. The reason why I am is because you guys are actually good for him. You make him see value in himself. Something I felt I was failing at. So please, Touka. Do whatever the hell you want with me. Help Kaneki."

Tears streamed through his face.

"Save my best friend!"

Now she felt more conflicted than before. She did not want to kill Hide because he was willing to sacrifice himself for Kaneki. No human would ever do that for anyone of her kind, let alone her. She still felt it necessary to kill Hide to protect the secret of Anteiku. However today, her regret and mercy were stronger than her anger. She deactivated her kagune.

"Don't make me regret this."

"I promise I won't."

"What do you want to tell Yoshimura?"

"Get Danny Rand some named…Piotr?"

 _end_

"So, yeah. That's what happened."

Everyone was surprised to har Touka actually showing mercy to a human. Even though he was Kaneki's best friend, they still could not risk getting humans close to them. Yoshimura then took his turn to speak to Kaneki.

"Kaneki, I am happy to see you alright. However, I also hope that today's events have made you realize something."

Kaneki then had a sad look on his face as he remembered the events that led up to today.

"Yeah. I should've just left it alone. Maybe I was irritated by the fact that I couldn't remember my past, but at least my life wasn't so bad. Now I know I was a weapon that killed people, I was better off not knowing."

"Yes. Hide told me as such."

Kaneki was surprised to hear that Yoshimura knew about his time as a living weapon.

"Kaneki, those deaths are not your fault. Your free will was suppressed by bloodthirsty warmongers who had no regard for life. Yes, we ghouls have to eat humans in order to live. But evolution has given us an answer to that."

Everyone in the café was a little confused to what Yoshimura was saying. Touka, however, understood.

"He's right. Which reminds me…I wanted to do this to you since the Tsukiyama incident."

Kaneki was initially fearful as to what Touka meant, only to be dealt another surprise that made both him everyone else speechless. She hugged him. This action made Nishio's jaw drop.

"Thank you."

She said with a gentle, yet trembling voice.

"You're…"

She broke off the hug to confess her gratitude and partial anger.

"I am. When I ate your flesh, it was out of necessity. Only to be given the biggest change of my life. One so big, it scared me. I thought I wasn't me anymore. But then…one time, during back in school, my friend Yoriko gave me a piece of her lunch. She cooks it herself, and she's proud of it. When she offered some of it to me that day, I ate it."

Her voice steadily became passionate and vulnerable.

"It was the most wonderful thing I ever had. It made me cry, and she was there to make me feel better. So, you can image just how I felt when you decided to leave in order to hunt down those mutants who wanted to take you away from us. Although I understood where that choice came from. Yoshimura told us you suffered from amnesia, so I didn't stop you. But that didn't stop the anger. It was only after Hide's that I realized that I was really angry at myself. Angry that I never got to thank you. So, please…"

Touka put down her head to hide the tears in her plea.

"Don't leave us like that again. We all care about you. You mean more to us than you know."

Kaneki now began to feel guilty once more. This time, it was for making the people that genuinely cared for him becoming deathly anxious for his well-being. It was then that Yoshimura made the following proposition.

"Kaneki, I believe that you should move in here. It will be better for your own safety. You'll still be able to attend classes and your lesson with Daniel Rand. But for the most part, you'll be here for your own safety. Even though the mutants from Weapon X are gone, there are other dangers that could arise because. Not just because of what you are, but what you have been. And what you could be."

"What I could be?"

"Word has gotten out within the ghoul community that there is a mutant whose flesh can allow you to eat human food. Seeing you on the news today may confirm that."

Kaneki was surprised that he was a notable figure among ghouls, considering he is a mutant.

"Please stay here, Kaneki. We only want you not just safe, but thriving. You needn't give anything for our care, and yet, you did in such a way that it gives us a way for a better life. I implore you on this offer."

Kaneki took a moment to think about it. The offer that Yoshimura gave possessed no implication that he would lose any of his autonomy he exercised before. Rather, he would actually have a safety network, in that he would be in safe hands if any anger presented to him like before. Plus, he would be nearby not just for work, but also for Hinami, and her studies. After weighing all the other pros and cons that came to mind, he made a decision.

"Fine. I'll move here."

A collective sigh of relief filled the room as Kaneki accepted Yoshimura's offer. Piotr voiced his.

"Excellent. I will be happy to help you move by end of this week, Kaneki."

"End of this week?"

"Da. I have come here to bring good news of my own."

"Is it what I think it is?"

Asked Yoshimura in relaxed anticipation.

"My transfer back to 20th ward has been approved."

Everyone voiced their excitement over the news.

"After my efforts in both 8th ward and bringing into light the existence of Weapon X, the higher-ups of CGB have decided to give me back my old jurisdiction. I am back, friends."

Everyone clapped over Piotr's return to the 20th ward.

"And it cannot be at better time. Although we have experienced heartbreaking tragedy and truths that revealed the existence of actual monsters, a vital discovery was made that would pave way for future of ghouls. I will be satisfied I playing small part in said future. In gratitude of you, Yoshimura."

He then turned his attention to Kaneki.

"Kaneki, whatever questions you have about your father, I will be glad to answer them in any way I can. For now, I take care of affairs at workplace. After that, we will have heart-to-heart talk. I promise."

"Thank you."

"Before I go, may I have cup of coffee?"

"Right away."

Said Yoshimura as he walked to the café bar and started to prepare a cup for Piotr. Danny joined in.

"Make that two, please. Irimi has been asking me to give it a try."

"Only because I think you should get out more."

"Fitness is a never-ending journey. Besides, my body is a temple."

"We have decaf."

"In that case, yes please."

Irimi slightly laughed over her boyfriend. Soon, more people joined in as a means of celebration. Including Hide. Kaneki almost joined in, until he was pulled away by Touka.

"Can we talk?"

"Sure."

Both went outside for a while without anyone knowing.

"What is it, Touka?"

"Well…how are you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Hide told us about what went on in the…underground laboratory. About how you remembered everything. Your whole past."

Kaneki knew what Touka spoke about. At first, he wanted to distance himself from it, but felt it would be futile now when it came to Touka.

"Truth be told, I'm still not. I don't know if I'll ever be…"

Touka could see Kaneki trembling right before her.

"I still see all those people I killed because I was told to. I didn't want to, but that blood is still on my hands."

"I know how you feel."

Kaneki listened to what Touka had to say.

"I remember all the human body parts I ate just to live. I had to become numb to it because I didn't want to die. That's why I cried that day. It all came back. Those faces of those I had to kill to survive. I didn't want to die, but I bet neither did they."

Touka recomposed herself.

"My point is that you're not alone in dealing with this. Don't be afraid to talk when you want to."

"Glad your sense of empathy is unconditional."

"Not always."

"Better than the doves, that's for sure."

"Why bring them up?"

"After I killed Sabretooth, me and Shifu were being held in a holding cell inside their building. Piotr got us out, but not before one confronted me for playing a part in killing his partner."

"Which one?"

"Some asshole named Kureo Madou. He punched me in the face while saying I'm no hero."

"Sounds like he was the asshole."

"Wanna know the kicker?"

"What?"

"He did all that after giving his 'condolences' about my traumatic experiences."

Touka groaned at how the dove acted after saying to Kaneki how bad he felt for him.

"See, this is why the doves should be gone! They say they're protecting humanity by killing us, but then they act less than they're supposed to."

Kaneki had a flashback at how Kanou acted kindly toward him before discovering what an amoral devil he truly turned out to be.

"Well, humans are really nothing but hairless monkeys. So, you can't expect them to know any better."

Touka paused for a moment before laughing out loud.

"That is so right!"

"I know."

Both laughed for a while longer before Kaneki acted depressed.

"Hey Touka?"

"Yeah?"

"When are they going to leave us alone?"

Touka acted somber before giving her reply.

"Maybe when they're all dead."

"The doves or humans?"

"Ask me that tomorrow."

"Sure."

The door to the café was opened by Hide when he checked to see who was outside.

"Hey, you two joining in?"

Both stared for a moment before replying,

"Yeah."

"Sorry to make you worry."

As they entered, both Kaneki and Touka did not noticed that Hide listened to their entire conversation.

 **And we…are…done! Thank you all so much for reading. I hope this chapter left you satisfied, but wanting for more. Well, you gonna get more. Three to four more, to be exact. That's how many chapters are left before the end. And speaking of the end, I think Hide did not like what Kaneki was turning into. Can he set him straight before the end you all know is coming? What will the CGB make of Weapon X? How will Kaneki's life change after the chaos in the 9** **th** **ward? Stay tuned. Don't forget to leave a review for anything that came to mind when reading this chapter. Until next time.**


	13. Ch 12

**Welcome back readers, both old and new. We've finally returned to the main storyline…which will be extended as it's based a filler episode showcasing character moments, but then we get to an episode where the main event begins. So, not that boring, I promise. There is also action in this as this chapter will feature a Spider-Man villain fighting Kaneki. Also, this chapter will look at the fallout of the discovery of Weapon X. A lot going on before the finale. Let's get to it!**

Ch. 12 – Calm

Kaneki worked the bar at Anteiku today. It was mostly routine. He would serve coffee to whomever would ask him, and he would be a good employee by doing so. However, there was a couple of things that would happen time to time when he would work there. He hears a dish drop onto the floor and break on contact. Then he hears Nishio scold Touka, who did said drop, about it.

"What's the hell the matter with you? You can be so goddamn useless."

"Excuse me? You better shut your mouth before I shove it full of glass, you misogynist pig!"

"Of course you'd try it! You're too stupid to remember where the trash can is! Plus, I'm sick and tried you leaving me to bus all the tables because you think you can pull all your 'seniority' crap!"

"It's the least you can do, you thoughtless dick! I do that because you suck so hard at everything else. If you hate it so much, why don't you quit and spare us your ugly, lazy ass!"

The two's constant bickering disturbed the customers. So much so, Kaneki felt the need to intervene.

"Guys, could we put a pin on this? You're disturbing the customers."

"SHUT UP, KANEKI!"

Said Touka and Nishio simultaneously. The two continued on as Kaneki could only sigh and mutter to himself,

"Another day in paradise…"

Another thing that would sometimes happen was the occasional glance from one of the customers. They varied between curiosity, animosity, and admiration. He felt uncomfortable nonetheless. In order to lower the volume of their shouting match, Kaneki turned up the volume on the television that was featuring a special news broadcast that caught his attention. It was about the GCB's investigation on the events from one month ago.

"We are reporting live from the GCB main office in the first ward. Bureau Director Yoshitoki Washuu is currently giving holding a press conference to shed light concerning the incident in the 9th ward. Many speculate the subject of today's press conference will be concerning the underground science group, Weapon X, and their mutant-ghoul hybridization experiments. We now go live."

The broadcast switched from the news anchor feed to the live one taking place inside of the conference room in the main office of the GCB. News reporters stood silently for one moment, staring alternatively between the empty podium and the doors which the director soon entered from. Cameras started flashing, taking pictures of the director being accompanied by a small security detail. Reporters asking their questions en masse. Soon, the room quieted down as the director started speaking.

"Good afternoon. One month ago, chaos caused by mutants fighting with each other erupted in the 9th ward. However, the mutants in question belonged to an underground science group called Weapon X. During our investigation into this group, we have discovered that it had been semi-active since the 1980's. Its significant growth was during the mutant hunts that took place all over the world, including in this country. Although dormant time to time, this group has remained operational. Taking mutants from their communities and experimenting on them to create living weapons to be sold in the black market as assassins."

That last sentence gained a reaction from the reporters.

"Its last known mention was in a SHIELD report dating back to 2006 when the multi-conglomerate known as Transigen was held responsible for introducing a genetic compound that suppressed the mutant gene within newborns. This genetic compound was distributed via their GMO-enhanced corn, which was then processed into various food items, such as breakfast cereals, sports drinks, and any other food items that included high-fructose corn syrup. Within the report were a couple of statements clarifying said involvement of Weapon X."

A couple of reporters spoke up to ask questions, but the director raised his hand as he was not done talking yet.

"The report's conclusion stated that Transigen attempted to suppress the mutant gene due to their chairman, Dr. Zander Rice, viewing random mutancy akin to the measles or polio. A virus that was better left isolated and controlled. He was later killed when it was discovered that he kept mutant children as subjects, in service to Weapon X. Their testimony would be integral to the dismantling of Transigen. And yet, the report never stated if the dismantling of Transigen also led to the end of Weapon X. Until the chaos in the 9th ward gave an answer to that. I will answer only three questions today."

The reporters spoke up, each asking the director answer the ones they desired to ask. Director Washuu pointed to a male reporter.

"Sir, are all the mutants that caused the chaos in the 9th ward belong to this Weapon X? I am, of course, discounting the former X-Man, Colossus, who was there at the scene. I am, however, including the mutant in the black mask. Was he involved with Weapon X?"

"Only as a victim. The mutant in the black mask was actually a former mutant assassin who was under their control until 7 years ago."

"One follow-up. Is this mutant related to the underground laboratory that was found in the 11th ward one day before the chaos? And if so, who is he?"

"Although yes, he is connected, we cannot divulge the identity of the mutant in the black mask. That is all I wish to say."

More reporters spoke up. This time, the Director pointed to a female reporter.

"Director Washuu, is it true that this organization has had success with mutant-ghoul hybridization?"

"Unfortunately, yes. There have been, as far as we can tell, one successful case. The one called Sabretooth, as far as well we could tell, underwent an operation in which he was implanted with a ghoul's kakuhou. We intend to investigate more on the matter as soon as we can gather more information."

"But director, eyewitnesses have reported that the mutant in the black mask was seen with one ghoul eye as well. Are there more that you may have overlooked?"

"We can neither confirm or deny these allegations. One more."

Director pointed to one more reporter before ending the conference.

"Director, concerning the 11th ward. Is it true that there is a militant ghoul group that have been systematically hunting down GCB investigators?"

"We cannot comment more on the matter. Thank you all."

"Sir! One more concerning the Transigen report."

Director Washuu stopped to consider answering the reporter who asked him for one more question.

"Very well."

"Concerning the Transigen report, did it say who was it that exposed Dr. Rice's experiments to the world?"

"Unfortunately, that part was redacted by SHIELD."

"I have spoken to sources that confirm who was it said report talks about."

"Sources, you say?"

"They actually happen to be the mutant children who survived the Transigen experiments."

The rest of the reporters around him were now curious to hear what he had to say.

"I'm sorry. Who are you, exactly?"

"Mamoru Tachibana for the Tokyo Times, director. I ask this because this incident is actually connected to the mutant in the black mask in question. During my interviews, they all confirmed the man responsible for saving them guided them to a mansion in Westchester County, New York. The same location as the X-Mansion."

More gasps could be heard, although they were small ones.

"They all confirmed that it was the Wolverine who saved them."

Soft murmurs became louder, little by little to the revelation.

"May I ask the connection to what happened in the 9th ward?"

"It is already public knowledge that the Wolverine's mutation is metal claws emerging from the knuckles of his hands. Well, my paper managed to get some pictures of the scene and the masked mutant in question has metal claws as well. Could this mutant the son of Wolverine?"

"No comment."

The director started to leave the room. However, the reporters continued their questions despite his silence on the matter. To everyone that saw this on television, a new sense of unease now filled the atmosphere of Tokyo. Few felt this more so than Kaneki. He was practically ousted by the public. Not to mention because of his decision to turn up the volume, the customers who heard the broadcast stared at him with a mix of amazement and bewilderment. Touka grabbed the remote and turned off the TV.

"Kaneki, take the day off. I'm taking over."

"It's fine, guys."

"Dude, you were practically outed. Take it. We'll explain to Yoshimura about it."

Said Nishiki in a soft and pleading tone. Kaneki took a moment to consider their offer. He definitely had something in mind to take his mind off today.

"Okay. I'm headed to Kami."

"What for? You have classes?"

"No. Spray paint."

As soon as he left to change, Touka and Nishiki were curious as to what Kaneki walked about. Nishiki had an idea of what he meant, but it eluded him.

"Spray paint. I know Kaneki does something with it."

"Usually that means graffiti. Is he going to vandalize his school?"

Nishiki snapped his fingers, signaling what he just remembered.

"Now I got it. He does graffiti art."

"Really?"

"I remember Hide telling me this when I first met the guy. The university is taking a chance on Kaneki's graffiti art. They even gave him an art studio to do it in."

"For real?"

"I don't know if he's good or not. I never got to see it."

"Well, maybe he needs it now."

"Yeah. Hearing his story got me a little worried about him. Still, it was good of you to thank him."

"Shouldn't you do the same? You ate his flesh as well."

"Yeah, but you did it better. Besides, the only other human food I ate after Yokohama was Kimi's cooking."

"And?"

"I miss human flesh."

Touka deadpanned when Nishiki confessed to missing eating flesh.

"Calm down. It was a joke."

"Well, it wasn't funny. Kaneki gave you a gift. Don't take it for granted."

Nishiki now felt curious as to why she defended Kaneki the way she currently does.

"What's with you? I thought you hated mutants."

"I changed it to dislike."

"Because of Kaneki?"

Touka did not like as to what Nishiki insinuated.

"Just get back to bussing the tables!"

Nishiki eventually did so, taking some satisfaction that she could use her crush on Kaneki to make fun of her the next time they argued.

xxxxxx

(Kami University)

Kaneki eventually made it to the college with the intent to make some graffiti art. He had not done it for quite some time, and he started to not just miss it, but worried that the university would take away his studio and give it to someone else. There were some ideas that he wanted to create. A mural of his Shifu in the battle of Wing Kong. His experiences working in Anteiku, presented as a portrait of life. Or do something in the vein of H.R. Geiger. Eventually, he settled for one. Although, he feared that his friends in Anteiku would not like it at first. As he headed toward to his art studio, he noticed some of the university students staring at him.

" _Great. More Looky-loos._ "

One finally approached him.

"Hey."

Kaneki feared the worst, but hid his panic.

"Hi. What'd you want?"

"That hoodie you're wearing."

Kaneki then remembered that the hoodie currently wore was the one he bought in mass amounts to match with his mask. He completely forgotten as he believed that he actually wore his old turquoise one instead. His fears of being exposed magnified in that instance.

"Wh-What about it?"

"Where'd you get it?"

"Online."

After a moment of unease, the student then asked,

"Which site? I really want one of those since seeing fight that happened in the 9th ward. Man, it was so awesome."

Kaneki sighed in relief.

"Amazon."

"Ah. Figured as such. Thanks man."

He soon made it to his personal studio. He took a deep breath to savor the fact that he was back to doing what he loved. Something that gave him solace. A measure of peace and catharsis he could sink his heart and soul into and never have any regrets about it.

"I'm back…"

Kaneki then went to the closet that held his various types and colors of pain and the tools to perform his art with.

"And ready to get started."

He then took out his smartphone and placed it on a smartphone tripod made for video recording.

" _This one, I really want to go viral for_."

xxxxxx

(5 hours later)

The sun set over campus as Kaneki exited his art studio and walked back to his apartment in Anteiku.

" _I really got to thank Piotr and Shifu for helping me move out. I can do it next week for Shifu when I do my lessons with him. For Piotr…maybe when he comes over._ "

He then remembered what was it that he said to him after his fight with the rogue mutants from Weapon X.

 _flashback_

"Kaneki, whatever questions you have about your father, I will be glad to answer them in any way I can…we will have heart-to-heart talk. I promise."

 _end_

As Kaneki continued on home, he would soon be approached by particular man. One who was of a large muscular build, bore a dark brown mustache and goatee, and carried with him a sort of primal aura. Some of the students who passed by him thought of him as intimidating, somewhat off, and look as if his business suit would soon burst off his body if he did any extreme movement. He eventually crossed paths with Kaneki. The way the two stared at each other caught some of the student's attention. Kaneki looked at how the man stared at him, and felt the necessity of caution.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Sergei Kravinoff."

Kaneki could tell he was Russian based on his accent.

"What brings you here?"

"You, Ken Kaneki."

He balled his hands into a soft fist.

"Over the years, I have faced many a prey that I would eventually claim as a trophy. Except two. One who lived in New York City proved himself difficult to defeat. But the other…the other I faced in the wilds of Canada. He was unlike anything I ever faced before. I summoned all the strength I possessed in my being, but…it was not enough."

Kaneki had a feeling where this would go.

"While I continued my search for greater strength, no sooner then when I achieved it, I learned of the death of Wolverine. It had devastated me. Although my newfound power gave me the finally gain a victory against the web-slinger, death would forever deny my rematch with the Wolverine. Until I watched what had happened here. In Japan. I know that you are son of Wolverine, Ken Kaneki!"

The students around the two were all shocked to hear Kaneki being the son of one the most famous X-Men. Some of them even said that he must have been the masked mutant from one month ago.

"How?"

"I looked at footage. I looked at the masked mutant. I recognize those claws. Once I came here, I went to scene where you fought against mutants of Weapon X. It was like needle in haystack, but I found your blood."

Kravinoff then took a vial from his left suit pocket and uncorked it.

"My powers did not just give me strength to go against mutants, but also the means to locate them. Today, I claim my victory against the Wolverine by claiming your life, Ken Kaneki!"

He drank the potion within the vial. Kravinoff then started to undergo a startling transformation. Both Kaneki and the students who stuck around feared what was happening to him. Kravinoff became beastly, animal-like in appearance and size. He convulsed in pain a little before regaining his sense of control, but that did not dispel any of the tension and terror of what they saw. The suit he wore before ripped off to reveal a brown vest with leopard spots and a fluffy feather back collar. He roared like a lion upon the completion of his transformation.

"As a man, I was Sergei Kravinoff. But my enemies know me as KRAVEN THE HUNTER!"

Kraven then punched Kaneki in the gut. It was so powerful that that it threw him backwards to the ground. A majority of the students ran for their lives with only a few staying behind to record or livestream the fight. Soon, campus security arrived to keep the students safe. Kraven slowly walked toward his prey.

"I had this potion developed by some witch doctors in Africa. It is what allows me to level field with quarry like you. And your father. I will make you fall like many other targets of my hunts!"

(play _Main Theme – Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable OST_ )

Kaneki got up from the ground and readied himself with another fight with one of his father's old enemies. Kraven quietly snarled at this.

"Hate to break it to you, fluffy. But you're not the first bad guy who wants a piece of me. Just the first one that smells like a litter box."

Those who were watching the livestreams and the ones recording them were surprised to see how someone so unassuming could fight against something like that mutated lion-man. Kraven roared as he charged toward Kaneki. While he waited for Kraven to come to him.

" _He's eager to settle things with my old man. I'll use that to my advantage._ "

Kraven performed large claw swipes as Kaneki leaped backwards to avoid getting hit. This insulted Kraven as Kaneki did not bring out his claws for the fight.

"Why are you not using your claws?"

He swiped a little more before Kaneki somersaulted two times to get some distance between him and Kraven.

"You have better fighting chances."

"You just not worth it, Kimba!"

Kaneki got into a kung-fu fighting stance. Kraven snarled loudly before charging toward Kaneki once more. However, he was ready. He performed a flying spin kick to Kraven face, and punched him in his chest with full force. This made Kraven keel over, to which Kaneki gave a knee drop to his face. With Kraven dazed, Kaneki performed a series of punches and kicks to edge Kraven closer to defeat. And yet, during the time Kaneki was in the offensive, Kraven regained his senses, grabbed Kaneki's right arm, and slammed him to the ground. Although he sustained damage from the slam, Kaneki proved himself quick to recover as he instantly rolled to the right to avoid being stomped on by one of Kraven's animal feet and, rather than getting up, he lifted his lower back to the air to give more kicks to Kraven's face via offensive moves reminiscent of break-dancing. The people who were recording the fight were wildly impressed by how he fought against the lion-man who called himself Kraven the Hunter. While those who were watching the livestreams gave massive amounts of likes, loves, etc. While he fought Kraven, Kaneki remembered some of the lessons Danny taught him expanded the flexibility of his fighting techniques.

 _flashback_

Loud, upbeat, rhythmic music filled the dojo as Danny taught Kaneki how to break dance.

"Was this what they taught you at K'un-Lun, Shifu?"

"Nah. This is all New York City, man!"

Kaneki actually had fun with this lesson. Usually he would muscle through the discomfort of training, but today was different. Today's lesson was one of uplift and positivity. Although this was still kung-fu training, it was done in a way that he still felt physical exhaustion, but ignored it in favor of the pleasure today's lesson brought. Kaneki felt that his shifu was trying to lift his spirits after what happened in the 9th ward, and chose to go with it to ease his shifu's worries.

"Any more moves to show me?"

"More than you can shake a leg at."

He laughed at how today's training went today. It gave a smile on his face. Making his shifu believe that he was doing a good job at cheering him up.

 _end_

Everyone who watched the livestreams were rooting for Kaneki to win against Kraven. It soon became viral to the point where it caught the attention of both the GCB and Anteiku.

(GCB Branch Office, 20th ward)

Director Kamibochi sat on his desk, doing paperwork, when he would soon receive a call concerning a certain mutant.

"Director Kamibochi?"

"Yes?"

"I just sent you a link that'll lead you a livestream because…"

"Out with it."

"Ken Kaneki is currently fighting a lion-man in Kami University."

"WHAT?!"

Kamibochi dropped what he was doing, logged on to his computer, and checked his e-mail for the link to the livestream recording exactly what one of his subordinates described it to be.

"Goddamn it. This kid is a bullshit magnet."

(Anteiku)

Koma was working the café bar when he sees Nishio watching something on his phone on his phone with a concerning look on his face.

"Nishio, you really shouldn't be on your phone right now."

"Koma, do you have Piotr's number?"

"Yoshimura does. Why?"

Nishio shows Koma what he was watching.

"Oh no."

"Don't think the old man is going to like this."

"Not like what exactly, gentlemen?"

Both were initially shocked to hear Yoshimura overhearing their conversation, and looked behind to see Yoshimura. Nishio then asked Koma,

"You wanna tell him or should I?"

(Kami University)

Kaneki soon got up on his feet and got into a fighting stance. Kraven greatly shrugged off the disorientation by shaking his head before facing Kaneki once more. He could see the look of confidence on his face, and it made him mad.

"You think of this as game?"

"I'm not the one who believes it's duck season somewhere."

Kraven dug his claws into the ground, which soon broke off from the ground, creating a square-round boulder. At first, Kaneki thought to dodge it as soon it was in range of him, but after looking to see one of the students recording the fight behind him, he instead waited for Kraven to throw the boulder instead.

"Big mistake, little mutant."

Kraven threw the boulder straight at Kaneki…

 _SNIKT!_

Only for it to be cut into pieces at breakneck speeds. The student recording the fight stood stupefied at how Kaneki sliced the boulder so fast. He even looked at the metal claws emerging from his knuckles with amazement. While Kraven looked with frustration.

"Think twice before calling me little, Shere Khan."

He then retraced his claws.

"You have tested my patience for the last time!"

Kraven charged at him once more, only for Kaneki to somersault over him in a big way. Kraven attempted to grabbed Kaneki with his large claw-hands, only for his prey to elude his grasp just in the nick of time. Kaneki constantly flipped over him, much to Kraven's annoyance. He could see that as he flipped over him. Kaneki flipped one last time, but the landing was different this time. This time, he landed on one of Kraven's large claw hands, which gave his foe extensive pain. He stayed standing on Kraven's hand, on one foot no less. Kaneki choose to do this because he wanted to execute a series of kicks directly to Kraven's face. They were swift and powerful enough to do serious damage to Kraven's face. All while he did this, Kaneki shouted repeatedly,

"WHO'S YOUR DADDY?!"

He shouted that phrase at least nine times before Kraven gave a right jab to get him off his left hand. As soon as Kaneki got up from the ground after Kraven's punch, he began to notice steam emanating from his body. He also saw Kraven breathing heavily.

"Is the big, bad kitty cat getting tired? I was just getting started."

Kraven lunged toward Kaneki and started to fight him again. However, this time his movements became slow and sluggish. His attacks became easier to dodge. Although Kraven still possessed the drive to fight, his body could not measure up to what his willpower demanded of it.

"Well, this is getting sad…"

Kaneki continued to avoid Kraven's strikes, making him tired to the point where he could not fight anymore. Kraven still possessed ample motivation just by looking at the smile on Kaneki's face. He felt that this fight was a joke. Therefore, he was a joke. An insult Kraven simply could not take lying down. And yet, his whole being slowly buckled under the weight of what he demanded of himself. Finally, Kaneki ended the fight by giving an uppercut to Kraven's chin. Resulting in Kraven reverting to his true state as a man, lying on the floor.

"Nighty night, sweet prince."

Both the people watching online and the one who were livestreaming the fight all cheered at Kaneki's victory over Kraven the Hunter. He then walked over to Kraven, grabbed him by his head hair, and said to him,

"Only friends and family call me by my name. You can call me Kuzuri."

( _end music_ )

He then let go as soon as he saw police circling around both him and Kraven. Kaneki could only sigh as he knew what this meant. He still stood when some of the police officers pointed their guns at him.

"Hands up! Knees on the ground."

Kaneki remained standing in defiance to the police officers.

"Last warning!"

The officer who order Kaneki to kneel down pulled the hammer of his service revolver. Kaneki remained unfazed.

"Don't make me shot you!"

"It would do you no good, officer."

Kaneki immediately recognized the voice to be Piotr.

"This man is known as Sergei Kravinoff, also known as Kraven the Hunter. He is wanted by numerous police agencies everywhere. NYPD, most of all."

He sees Kraven being carried away on a stretcher while also accompanied by at least four officers.

"He was associated with numerous criminal associations. The GCB wishes to interrogate him for any possible connections with Weapon X."

"Does he?"

"I cannot explain details. Suffice it to say, Ken Kaneki is not criminal here."

"Yeah, well this kid is a troublemaker. He can't be trusted."

"You cannot blame him for his father's problems."

"His father?"

"I imagine he was here to claim vengeance. Am I right, Kaneki?"

After a moment of silence,

"Yeah. My dad kicked his ass, and he wanted payback by killing me."

The police officer gave a soft grunt before leaving Kaneki alone. Now it was just him and Piotr.

"Sorry for the noise, Piotr. This guy just came out of nowhere, relatively speaking."

"It is no problem for me. I only worry for your emotional state."

"The only thing I felt was frustration when it comes to dealing with guys like him."

He pointed to Kraven before he was out of the area via ambulance.

"He will be in SHIELD custody before day is done."

"But I thought…"

"Weapon X never made contact with him, but he is wanted criminal, nonetheless."

As they watched the ambulance take Kraven away from Kami, Piotr asked Kaneki,

"Allow me to take you home."

"Might as well. You owe me that talk."

"Very well."

xxxxxx

As Piotr took Kaneki home in his SUV, Kaneki spoke first by asking,

"So, do people know who I am by now?"

"Possibly. Since this is an incident between a criminal enhanced and a mutant, it was solely within the purview of the police. You are, however, person of interest to GCB. You are lucky that I was involved before my colleges did."

"You mean that guy who said that I spat on the legacy of his partner?"

"He spoke out of grief. Do not put it against him."

"Fine, but since people are going to know that I am Wolverine's son, I…"

"Want to know what happened to him?"

After a brief pause, Kaneki answered honestly.

"Yes. What happened to him? Why didn't he come back?"

After a moment of silence, Piotr finally found the fortitude to speak of Logan's last mission.

"Professor X asked Logan to go on mission. Felt that it needed his attention especially."

"Why?"

"He could not tell me. Either he felt he could not. Or…"

"Or what?"

"I do not know. All he could tell me was that it involved Weapon X."

"Transigen, you meant to say."

Piotr was surprised to hear that from Kaneki.

"How did you know that?"

"I saw a press conference on the news a little after noon. I was working in Anteiku at that time, and Touka and Nishio were at it again."

"I see…"

"Anyhow, the person speaking was, I think, your big boss instead of the one you report to at the branch office here. He spoke about Weapon X and how it was connected to Transigen. One of the reporters asked if the 'mutant in the black mask' was the son of Wolverine."

Piotr sighed at how he missed something like this.

"What had happened in the 9th ward probably made international news, but only as a blip. Kraven must have picked it up. Regardless, I apologize."

"Just one more question."

"Yes?"

"Did my father…die while uncovering Transigen's experiments?"

"…We never found the body. The survivors of those experiments led us to where Logan died, but…his body was not there. I am sorry that you had to hear this, Kaneki."

Kaneki laid his head on the window and looked at the city passing him by. He did not feel anything. Rather, he did not know what to feel.

xxxxxx

(Anteiku)

The two made it to Anteiku, with Piotr waving goodbye to Kaneki as he went back to the branch office to finish up on his work. Kaneki expected a lot of reactions when he would enter inside.

" _None of them positive._ "

He also noticed something else.

" _He's not talking to me like he used to…_ "

He dismissed it as nothing to worry about. Kaneki soon entered inside to find the staff with worried faces.

" _Knew it._ "

He sees Hinami there as well.

"Kaneki. A re you alright?"

"Just fine. A little annoyed, but that's it."

Touka took minor offense to that.

"Annoyed?! She was worried about you!"

"No. Not at this. I was annoyed that I had another jerk upending my life because of my dad!"

"Oh. Okay, that's fair."

"Thank you."

"Speaking of which…"

Said Yoshimura, starting his line of inquiry.

"Who was this man you fought at Kami?"

"Some guy named Kraven the Hunter. Says he fought my dad at some point in the past, and was mad that he couldn't get payback on him. So, he gets it on me."

He silently sighed in relief in the knowledge that this time, the fight was not started by him.

"Did you have class today?"

"N-No. I had a free day."

"Then why were you at Kami?"

"That's…my fault."

Said Touka, in a slightly meek voice.

"Kaneki was watching a press conference that was making him feel uncomfortable. Both him and the customers who were also here."

Nishio spoke up as well.

"He only watched it because me and Touka were arguing about something. We were getting loud, and he turned up the volume on the TV to mute us out. So, Touka asked him to take the rest of the day off, and she'd explain it to you."

Yoshimura looked at Touka with a somewhat stern look on his face.

"Although I appreciate you being sensitive to Kaneki's emotional state, today's events just reaffirm why he should stay at Anteiku at all times. I cannot emphasize why that is. I allowed something like chaos in the 9th ward, more or less, because I did not want to get in the way of Kaneki wanting to understand his origins. It could not be stopped because none of us had the right to. However, this is different. This happened because you three made a choice like the one today without my say so. Any and all decisions involving employees should be consulted to me first. Understood, you three?"

Kaneki, Touka, and Nishio felt they were put on the spot.

"Understood?"

"Yes sir."

Said the three simultaneously.

"Now, let's be grateful that this did not explode into a giant, street-destroying scene. The next time Kaneki leaves outside of his agreed time, notify me first. I cannot emphasize how important that is."

Yoshimura ended the conversation there. However, Kaneki had one more thing to say.

"Just so you know, I didn't fight because I wanted to expose you all. That's something I would never let happen."

"I know, Kaneki. I do this for your safety."

He then left to his room at the top floor of the building. Considering it was nighttime, Nishio said,

"Well, I'm heading home. Any of you guys closing up today?"

"I'm on it."

Said Touka, offering to do so. Kaneki then asked Hinami,

"I hope I didn't worry you."

"Well, you didn't want to fight today. So, I won't hate you for it."

"So, you were angry at me for fighting then?"

"A little."

Kaneki felt guilty for making Hinami feel that way.

"How about I make it up to you?"

"How?"

"Well, I have class tomorrow, but before I work, I could stop by a local market to get the ingredients to make you a steak dinner like the one you loved before."

Hinami had a joyful look on her face.

"Really?!"

"Yeah. And I'll even introduce you to ice cream."

"What's ice cream?"

Kaneki laughed a little at how innocent the question was.

"You'll find out when you take that first bite. Then after that, I'll show you a favorite movie of mine."

"I can't wait."

"On one condition. After your tutoring."

Hinami pouted at the idea that she had to do her tutoring first before all the fun stuff Kaneki had planned for her.

"Hey now. Don't give me that look. I thought you liked it."

"Only when it's about books. Everything else is boring."

The two continued to converse while Touka listened to the both of them without them knowing. She smiled at how the two acted toward each other. Hinami eventually went to her room while Kaneki stayed behind to offer Touka help.

"How about you turn in? I'll clean everything here."

"…Okay. Thank you."

"By the way, I'm extending my offer to you."

"What?"

"Have you ever tried steak or ice cream before?"

"Only heard about them."

"Well, if you want some, I'd be more than happy to make one for you."

"Do you even know how to cook?"

"Not on an expert level, but enough to not make it taste like garbage."

Touka took a moment to consider his offer before making her decision.

"Okay fine."

"Great. She'll be happy."

As Kaneki clean up the café by himself, Touka first went to the employee locker room to change, and then, to her apartment. The room Kaneki stayed in was the one behind her. The floor she stayed on had enough space for two apartment-space rooms. Kaneki was mostly quiet, the only she ever heard was the TV he would turn on time to time. He proved himself to be a pretty decent neighbor. As she settled into her room, Touka noticed that she thought about Kaneki more than she usually did. She even felt a little excited for the steak dinner for tomorrow. She blushed at the idea of being excited at the idea of doing something together with him.

" _What the hell is going on with me?_ "

xxxxxx

(The next day)

Today was another peaceful day with Kaneki. At least, he wanted it to be. As soon as he was on campus, he was hounded by students who wanted to take selfies with him, wanted him to show off his claws, or just expressing how amazing or cool he was. The attention overwhelmed him to say the least. After his classes were done, he sneaked off the campus as best he could to avoid his 'fans.' His trip to the market near Anteiku proved itself to be less chaotic. Most of the people who recognized him were children, small boys who wanted his autograph. All saying that Kaneki was so cool for what he did in the 9th ward, how he reminded him of the Avengers before they disbanded. The extra attention wore him down a little, but he still managed to get everything he needed for tonight. A couple of hours passed since he made to Anteiku, Hide arrived to hang out with Kaneki.

"Wait, you got robbed that night you went hunting for Weapon X?"

"I almost got robbed. I caught him in time, but he still got my wallet."

"How'd you get it back?"

"A very elaborate game of keep-away."

"Oh. That explains that video."

Said Nishio in a cloy, knowing tone of voice. To which Kaneki asked,

"What video?"

"Sometime after the 9th ward incident, some of my colleges in Kami sent me a video link. They saw you with me, and thought I should see this."

Nishio brought out his phone, tapped on it a little to play the link, and showed it to the two. The video was a little shaky, it perfectly showed both Kaneki's face and the person who stole his wallet. Hide was amazed at how Kaneki moved while also maintaining his balance.

"Whoa. Those are some badass moves."

"Yeah, I saw it before you guys. Was this how you went up against that demigod in the 8th ward?"

"More or less."

When it ended, Hide then asked,

"So, that's how you got it back?"

"Almost. He must've stolen my school ID."

"Aw, dude…"

"Hide, it's fine. Those are replaceable. What really sucks is that that's not how I wanted to go viral."

Both Hide and Nishio were curious as to how Kaneki wanted to be famous.

"How do you want to be famous then?"

Asked Nishio in an actual curious voice. Kaneki then put down the cup he was drying and the rag with it, took out his phone, tapped on a little, and played the video he made yesterday.

( _play Starboy – The Weeknd_ )

It showed a blank white wall for a few seconds before the camera focused itself from being blurry before. Then Kaneki walks up to the wall and starts spray painting it. The play speed of the video was accelerated to match the play length of the song, which was at a regular speed. First, he created the background using a combination of spray and regular paint. He used a long paint roller to reach the top of the wall he painted on. The background Kaneki was creating was a series of skyscrapers, exactly like the ones in the 9th ward. Next, he painted the streets, some of them intact while others with impact craters on them before painting the cars. Those which were parked were in the far background while the cars Omega Red flipped were more prominent. Then, he made people outlines, all of them of familiar shape and size. On the right side of the painting did he recreate the fight between Piotr and Omega Red. It showed the former X-Man freeing himself from his foe's metallic tentacles before giving him the powerful sucker punch that defeated him. He had a fierce look on his face as he gave it. When that part of finished, Nishio remarked,

"Damn. Never saw Piotr look that way before. Wonder if he fought like that when he was in the X-Men?"

Next was the middle of the wall where Kaneki depicted the fight between Iron Fist and Kane. Kaneki's depiction was one that portrayed his shifu in a positive light. Iron Fist gave a double punch with golden, glowing fists, causing his enemy's arms to pop off from the sides while also knocking the wind out of him as indicated by the look on Kane's face. His eyes almost popped out of his sockets and his mouth making an O with his lips puckered out. When that was finished, both Hide and Nishio laughed at how cartoonish Kane looked.

"Now that is artistry."

"Wait until the end."

Said Kaneki to Hide with a tone of confidence. Last on the video did Kaneki painted his fight with Sabretooth. First, he painted Wild Child simply laying on the ground with X-marks on his eyes. While he depicted the battle between him and Sabretooth in a style similar to Araki. It showed the scene when his steel claws slowly chipped away Sabretooth's kagune tentacles as the two exchanged blows. Large, bold kanji describing the sound of metal against organic matter enunciated the scene while two large word bubbles accompanied them. Kuzuri had one of his own with the word 'ORA' repeated 15 times, and Sabretooth the same except with 'MUDA.' Kaneki even painted himself with his mask on, as well as the hoodie he currently wore. During the video, whenever Kaneki would have to reach up, he brought out a small step ladder occasionally in order to get the heights of the characters in the painting a little exaggerated for dramatic effect. He also wanted Sabretooth to look a little horrifying to look at due to his one ghoul eye. So, he made his fangs a little bigger, made him look a little beastly in appearance, but still drew him with his usual clothing of him in a dark brown suit and the trench coat to match. By the he finished, the video played in a regular speed while the music played on as usual. The video zoomed in on Piotr first, then it got blurry before focusing on Iron Fist, again for the last time to focus on Kuzuri. Lastly, the video cut to a wide shot of the entire wall, showcasing the entire painting with Kaneki standing in the corner, looking satisfied with himself before ending there.

( _end music_ )

Both were impressed by what Kaneki drew. Nishio expressed his amazement with a simple whistle while Hide said to him,

"Damn, that's so cool. I love the way how you used spray paint to make something seriously awesome-looking."

"Thanks."

Nishio then said,

"I like your taste in music. Was it the Weeknd you used?"

"Oh yeah. It's a personal favorite of mine."

"Nice."

Kaneki and Nishio high-fived each other while Hide looked at the news channel as it spoke about further violence in the 11th ward.

"It's getting bad out there."

Both Kaneki and Nishio looked at the TV as well. Nishio commented on the news information as well.

"Yeah. Piotr's previous ward he worked in starting to see bad days."

"I'm starting to feel that some sort of balance may have shifted."

"Shifted?"

Asked Kaneki in a curious tone.

"Well, some time ago I had this theory some ghoul organization monitors this ward. Last month proved right."

"Wait, you knew about Anteiku before Kaneki told you about it?"

"It was only a theory, Nishio. Nothing I couldn't base anything on before. I based it on predatory records between one year ago and now. At first, I thought since the 20th ward had a mutant investigator assigned here, that would make sense."

Both Kaneki and Nishio were astounded to see Hide being more perceptive than they believed before.

"So, I wanna ask you guys. Do the ghouls here have some sort of pact that makes it relatively peaceful here?"

Nishio answered,

"I don't know if I should tell you, man. I'd have to run it by Yoshimura first."

Hide sighed at being roadblocked for education.

"Fair enough. I'm still an outsider, relatively speaking."

"Pretty much."

Hide finished his coffee and paid for it.

"I gotta head out guys. Great talk. Kaneki, send me that link so I can share it with my online friends."

Kaneki gave a thumbs up before his friend exited the café. Nishio then said to Kaneki as soon as Hide did,

"Knew it. Sooner or later, he'd catch up to us."

"At least he was understanding."

Said Kaneki while tapping on his phone as he sent the link via text message.

"We can't depend too much on our luck, Kaneki. We'll run out before we even know it."

"Yeah, you got a good point."

As Nishio cleaned up the tables, he thought a little to what Hide said earlier.

" _If there was some sort of balance that existed before, it's probably because of Kaneki. But…_ "

He looks at Kaneki working with a content look on his face.

" _He didn't want to say anything. Guess that means neither should I._ "

xxxxxx

(GCB Branch Office, 20th ward)

Amon was being escorted by an office assistant to a meeting.

"Investigator Amon, inspectors from the home office are waiting for you on floor 31."

"Thank you."

He took the elevator to floor 31. As he waited, he thought about who is it that waited for him.

" _Wonder who they brought? Not a veteran officer, that's for sure…_ "

He flashbacks to when he carried Kureo Madou's corpse in his arms.

" _Not like they have any to spare._ "

He eventually arrived the floor to see Shinohara greeting him.

"Hey there, Amon."

He was surprised to see him here.

"Inspector Shinohara. Don't tell me they assigned you here."

"I'm needed elsewhere. But these fine officers should be more than enough."

"Houji."

"Hello Kotaro. It's been too long."

"The feeling's mutual."

"Um…Mr. Amon?"

Amon turned around to see a young man saluting to him while also being in a nervous disposition.

"It's an honor to meet you. Seido Takizawa, Investigator 2nd class, Control Division 1, sir!"

Houji thought it typical for the young Investigator to act this way on front of his idol.

"He's been waiting to meet you all day. He's a regular fanboy."

Takizawa was feeling humiliated by his superior.

"A-Assistant Special Investigator Houji, you embarrassing me. N-N-Not that's a problem, sir."

Amon extended his hand to the rookie.

"It's an honor to meet you, Takizawa."

"Likewise, sir."

Both Shinohara and Houji nodded at each other before resuming the conversation.

"Amon, these two are going to keep an eye on the 20th ward alongside Piotr. Until you get back, that is."

"Mr. Shinohara…"

"You and I are being assigned to a special taskforce."

"Which kind?"

"Marude gave the orders himself. We're heading to the 11th ward. Something big is going down."

"So I've heard."

xxxxxx

(Anteiku, nighttime)

Kaneki, Touka, and Hinami were all sitting on the couch together, watching a movie that Kaneki liked. It was the a 1950's western film called Shane. They were close to the end where Shane confronted the cattle baron and his lackeys for harassing the local settlers out of their land and took it too far by setting fire to one of the settler's homes. As the girls watched on, Kaneki reminisced on a certain conversation he had with Nishio and Koma earlier afternoon.

 _flashback_

"Are you for real? Sounds like shit's hitting the fan at the 11th."

"And it's a mutant ward So you know things are really getting bad there."

Kaneki asked Koma,

"I thought ghouls usually avoid the wards with a major mutant population."

"Not when it comes to this group. I talked to Yomo about it. A group of ghouls teamed up to hunt down the investigators. Now the whole ward's like a slaughterhouse. No one is spared."

Nishio whistled at how bad the 11th ward is becoming.

"If things continue to get this bad, there'd be hell to pay if it spills out to the other wards."

 _end_

As they watched on, Touka asked Kaneki about the main character.

"Do you think Shane had a family?"

"The main character?"

"Yeah. Do you think they know what's happening to him? Everyone has one, right?"

Touka remembered what little happiness she had in her childhood.

 _flashback_

Young Touka calls out for her little brother as she found something.

"Ayato!"

He comes to her big sister and sees what she found.

"Yeah sis?"

Ayato was surprised to see a small bird that could not fly yet. Soon their father would join the two of them.

"Poor little guy. Must've fallen from his nest."

"What do we do, dad?"

"Guess we take care of him until he can fly on his own."

Both children were excited at the idea of it. The day after, the children hunted for worms at a nearby park.

"Ayato, I found one!"

He was grossed out by the sight of the worm.

"You're a boy. You're supposed to like them!"

"Says who?!"

Touka places the worm in a box they brought with them.

"Come on! Do it for Junta."

After they were done, they showed their father how many they collected.

"That's…a lot of worms you brought."

Both children were proud of the work they've done. Their dad first patted Touka on her head.

"You're becoming like your mother, Touka."

"Does that mean I'm like you dad?"

He then pats Ayato soon after.

"Pretty much, my boy. I hate bugs too. If you see one, call your sister."

Both laughed at the joke he made.

"You two need a bath. You're both so dirty."

"I don't like baths, but I like a hug."

"Me too."

He lifted them both up as he hugged them.

"You two are growing up so fast. I want both of you to promise me that no matter what, you'll always take care of each other."

 _end_

"You okay?"

Asked Kaneki, curious as to the context of Touka's question. Hinami shushed the both of them.

"It's almost over."

The movie almost ended with Shane going away from the settlers' lives, but not before he would talk with Joey one last time.

 _I gotta be going on._

 _Why, Shane?_

 _A man has to be what he is, Joey. You can't break the mold. I tried it and it didn't work for me._

 _We want you, Shane._

 _Joey, there's no living with, with a killing. There's no going back from it. Right or wrong, it's a brand, a brand that sticks. There's no going back. Now you run on home to your mother and tell her, tell her everything's alright, and there aren't any more guns in the valley._

Hinami cried a little as Shane rode off into the night with a wound attained in a gunfight earlier. Joey kept on pleading with Shane to stay, but kept on riding. When the movie ended, she was in tears when Kaneki turned on the lights in his apartment. He sees her tears.

"Hinami…"

"He was dying…He was dying and he didn't want Joey to know…Why?"

Kaneki tried to answer her question the best he could.

"Shane didn't want Joey to be like him."

"What's wrong with being like Shane? He's a good guy."

"Yes, but he's used to violence all his life. It's all he knows, and he doesn't how to move on from that. The time Shane lived in demanded him to be an unrelenting force of nature. Otherwise, he's a dead man."

"Like ghouls have to be?"

Kaneki did not know how to answer that. However, Touka was there to pick up the slack.

"Not today. Remember what Kaneki did for you?"

Hinami nodded yes.

"Well, that's what he's doing for everyone like us"

Kaneki remembered a week after the chaos in the 9th ward, he sliced the skin off his arms in the underground storage room.

 _flashback_

With his claws out, Kaneki carved deep into his arms and sliced his flesh clean off his arm. What was exposed before the flesh grew back was his skeletal arm coated in adamantium. Both Yoshimura and Yomo were shocked to see such a sight. Kaneki writhed in pain for a little while before the skin on his arm started to grow back. However, he soon became exhausted as his healing factor sapped away at his stamina when it grew back his skin. Despite that fact, Kaneki repeated this action more than 10 times. Yomo caught him from falling over.

"I think that's quite enough."

Kaneki tried to speak up, but possessed little energy utter a single word of protestation.

"Yomo, get him to his room. He needs his rest."

 _end_

"It's getting late. Why don't you get ready for bed?"

"Okay."

As Hinami went to Touka's apartment, Kaneki noticed something about her.

"Hinami, your hair looks different."

"That's because Touka's the one who cut it. Do you like it?"

"Yeah. It's makes you cute."

Hinami blushed when Kaneki called her cute.

"Y-You really think so?"

"Yeah I'm sure. Who did it?"

"Touka did."

Kaneki was amazed at the level of craftmanship Touka was capable of.

"You surprised?"

"A little. It's really good though. Practically professional-grade, I might say."

Touka blushed a little at Kaneki's compliment.

"It's no big deal."

"I beg to differ. It shows you got talent."

"Shut your trap, stupid bird! Don't bite me, you son of a bitch!"

Touka instantly got annoyed by Hetare interrupting them.

"Are you tattling on me? You better shut your trap before I skin you and put you in an oven!"

"Asshole!"

Said Hetare. Both Kaneki and Hinami laughed a little at how Touka lost an argument to a bird.

xxxxxx

Hide was walking by himself before he stopped to rest in front of a vending machine. The drink he had was a can of coffee. He took a sip.

"So bitter. They do this much better at Anteiku."

He continued to drink it. As he did, a couple of men passed by him. One was a large muscular man wearing a white suit while the other was a little flamboyant in terms of outfits.

"You've seen the news, right?"

"Yeah I did. And now I want to know what did that mutant had to do with it."

Hide listened in on the conversation the two men had without looking like he was eavesdropping.

"What was her name again?"

"Rize. I really wanted payback for what that bitch did to me."

"She's probably dead, considering one of those mutants had her kagune. That's what you told me, right?"

"Yeah. One of those Weapon X mutants had it for some reason, and that mutant who killed him has to know why."

As he took out his coffee from the vending machine, he cracked his index fingers. All the while Hide listened in on them with hiding his shock.

"Thankfully, we know to look."

Elsewhere in another part of the ward, three ghouls with gas masks perched on a clock post overlooking the ward.

"This the 20th ward? I've never been here before."

"From here, it looks like time moves slower here, you know?"

The one leading them slightly derided them for believing this was a peaceful ward.

"Don't let the looks fool you. This place has somebody who's seen major action. We've got a job to do, so let's get to it."

The gas masks jumped from the post and landed behind their boss.

"But Banjou, where do we start? There's a lot of ground to cover."

"We look for a coffee shop called Anteiku. It's run by some old ghoul. Rize's been here. I just know it."

xxxxxx

(11th ward)

On a nearby river, three ghoul investigators were killed by a bunch of ghouls when the sun was still rising. One of the ghouls commented on how the fight felt easy for him.

"These guys were weak. Even for humans. Any of you heard from that dumbass Banjou yet?"

"Not a word."

He groaned in frustration.

"He's so goddamned useless. At this rate, Yamori and his fairy friend will get to him before we do."

"Are you sure about that?"

"What's so hard in finding a mutant in the 20th ward? We'll head there and locate Kuzuri before Yamori does."

"What about that mutant dove and the Iron Fist?"

"The other teams are taking care of them as we speak."

"YES SIR!"

Yelled the other ghouls with one asking their leader,

"Didn't you used to live in the 20th ward?"

"Don't have much love for the place anymore. Considering its full of human-loving cowards. And mutants who think they can better our lot, but really only speak empty promises."

Their leader licks the blood off his arm.

"Although, I do have a sister. She's one of those cowards I mentioned."

xxxxxx

(Later that day)

Kaneki and Touka were by themselves watching over the café. As Kaneki washed dishes, He asked Touka about why the café was empty.

"I wonder why things have been slow lately?"

"The doves are on the move. Everyone keeping their heads down."

Just then, the entrance to the café rang as somebody entered.

"Welcome. How can we be…?"

Kaneki stopped mid-sentence due to the angry look on the customer's face. He was accompanied by three figures in colored hoodies and gas masks. Kaneki was approached by the sour-faced man.

"Is your manager here?"

"N-No. He's out for the moment. Can I get you anything?"

After a moment of awkward silence, he asked,

"You Ken Kaneki?"

Both Kaneki and Touka lightly gasped as they came for him. The sour-faced man grabbed Kaneki by his shirt collar.

"You heard me. Are you Ken Kaneki?!"

"Let him go!"

He then turned his attention to Touka.

"HUH?!"

"You heard me! Whatever problems you have with his old man, don't take it out on him!"

He grunted.

"I ain't here for Wolverine. I'm here for him!"

"At least buy a cup of coffee!"

Said Kaneki as he attempted to diffuse the situation.

"WHAT?!"

"It's called proper etiquette. Or are you above that sort of thing?"

Moments later, Kaneki made a cup of coffee for sour-face as he calmed down.

"So, what exactly did I do to you?"

He took a sip before talking.

"I…wanted to ask you for Rize Kamishiro."

Kaneki was mildly shocked to hear that he was looking for Rize.

"What's your name?"

"It's Banjou Kazuichi. I used to know Rize sometime in the 11th ward before she came here."

Touka then asked,

"How did you know that she used to be here?"

"I saw that news broadcast where he…"

Banjou pointed at Kaneki.

"fought against that mutant who had her kagune. I recognized it as soon as I saw it. It took me some time, but I found out that she came here, to the 20th ward, but that was where the trail stopped."

He stared at Kaneki for a while.

"I could even smell her on you."

Banjou instantly went from calm to angry when he grabbed Kaneki by his shirt collar.

" _Oh no, not again…_ "

Both Touka and Banjou's friends tried to stop the impending violence.

"Are you the lucky bastard who got Rize?!"

"She tried to eat me before she tried to kill me!"

Banjou's killing instinct came to a stop as he wanted to know more about what Kaneki meant by that.

"What'd you mean?"

"When we first met, Rize didn't know I was a mutant. That's why she tried to kill me."

Banjou soon let go of Kaneki's shirt collar.

"You're gonna have to go into more detail."

Kaneki told Banjou and his friends about how he first met Rize, how she tried to kill him for being a mutant, how her kakuhou was implanted into her. He even told them about how she killed Hinami's mother and how she wanted Kaneki to kill her, but denied her the death she desired. The first words to come out of Banjou's mouth were,

"Holy shit! You became this way because of those bastards from Weapon X?"

"Yeah. Even though I didn't kill her, she still died because of me."

After a moment of silence, Banjou got off from his seat and kneeled in front of Kaneki as a sign of apology.

"I'M SORRY! It was all my bad! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!"

Banjou was crying as he kneeled in front of Kaneki.

"I had no idea you suffered so much! It's almost like God chose you to be the universe's punching bag."

"Well, I wouldn't put it that way… Either way, you don't have to do this."

"I HAVE TO! I got to pay my dues for my mistakes!"

Kaneki felt a little embarrassed for being treated this way, but also glad to have met somebody like Banjou.

"So…"

He raised his head to ask a question.

"Is she really dead?"

"Yeah…she is."

Banjou sighed in resignation.

"She was always such a free spirit. But I never would've realized that she would do so much bad things just for her freedom."

Kaneki replied in agreement.

"Yeah, she definitely created such a persona that made you believe almost everything you wanted about her."

"Kaneki, there's something you really have to know."

Both Kaneki and Touka were curious as to what Banjou wanted him to know.

"You gotta run."

Both were surprised to hear something like that.

"I know you're strong enough to take on mutants and bad guys like Kraven the Hunter, but this is different. So different than what you've faced before."

"What?"

"A few months ago, a group of ghouls called Aogiri Tree came up from out of nowhere. They muscled their way into the 11th ward and made it clear that they were in charge now. They made it clear that they wanted to take out all the doves in the ward. They were even ballsy enough to not just do it in a mutant ward, but also kill whatever mutants that dared to stand in their way. I would even be surprised to hear that they've killed every dove in the 11th ward already. I've nothing to do with them. I'm just a runner. I don't know why, but they want Rize. And it's not just her."

"You don't mean…?"

"That's why you have to run. Aogiri Tree has knowledge about both the mutant dove that used to be called Colossus, and the Immortal Iron Fist, who was a part of what happened at the 8th ward, and the 9th. They know about you, Kaneki. If I was you, I'd get out of here before it's too late."

However, that plea would soon prove itself to be too little, too late. The glass window of the café suddenly broke. Everyone saw who it was He looked around Kaneki's or Touka's age, wore a black leather jacket and purple scarf, black latex pants, and black boots. He gave a swift kick to Banjou, which caused him to be flung across the floor. Everyone was shocked to see such a sight.

"You had one job. Then again, I should've expected you to screw it up. Maybe I need to kick your face in some more for you to actually learn anything!"

Touka then confronted the intruder.

"Ayato…"

Kaneki remembered that name.

" _I heard that name before. Rather, I saw that name…_ "

"Long time no see, dear sister."

"Where the hell you've been all this time?"

"Well, you know how it is. Going around the world, learning about new things, stuff you wouldn't know about being here in this dead-end place."

"What, you think you're better than me?"

"I know I am. Why don't you do yourself a favor sis? Get the hell out of here."

Just then, more people arrived. It was the two men from last night that Hide listened in on.

"Time's up, kid. We'll take over from here."

Banjou acted scared at who came here. Kaneki kept his guard up at the two new arrivals.

"Please forgive the intrusion, but the job demands our presence."

"So Ayato, this the kid we're told to get?"

"My my. He's almost as fearsome as he was on TV before. He looks quite tasty for a mutant."

Touka groaned as she finally met someone creepier than Tsukiyama. Ayato felt the same, but for different reasons.

"How'd you know I was here, Yamori?"

"Easy. Followed your boy Banjou. Knew he had a thing for Rize. Sure enough, that led me to this little guy."

Kaneki had an angry look on his face.

"Oh I'm sorry. I forgot. You don't like to be called little."

Yamori chuckled menacingly a little. Then he blocked a kick from Touka.

"You want him, you're gonna have through me."

"All right."

Yamori gave a powerful backhand slap which threw Touka across the café. Kaneki tried to help her, but Yamori was quicker than him as he grabbed Kaneki by the throat.

"When it comes to me and my goals, nothing can stop me."

 _SNIKT!_

Yamori sees the metal claws emerging from Kaneki's knuckles.

"Oh my. We can't have that, now can we?"

Yamori's partner took out a syringe containing some sort of liquid, but never gave it to Yamori as Kaneki stabbed his arm with one of his claws. He yelled in pain.

"LITTLE BASTARD!"

Yamori punched Kaneki in the face, which caused him to crash on a nearby table.

"Damn, Nico! You could've been faster."

"Eye on the ball, now."

Yamori sees Kaneki getting up with his claws still out. He walked toward him and stepped on his body with his left foot.

"Now you could stay down, or you could also get up. If you promise to behave, you could get out of this alive."

Yamori gave more pressure on Kaneki's body. Which worked against him at first. It made Kaneki angry to the point that his berserker rage kicked in. His ghoul eye emerged while this happened. He slowly got up despite Yamori's foot was still on him.

"Holy crap. A one-eyed ghoul."

This shocked nearly everyone in the café. Especially Ayato.

"Somehow, I just knew it."

Yamori stepped off used his kagune to immobilize Kaneki as he pierced his chest with it and dangled him in the air.

"You're connected with those Weapon X people that somehow have Rize with them."

He chuckled menacingly once more.

"What secret you just got to have."

Nico joined in.

"Can't wait to bust this nut and see what's inside."

He handed Yamori the syringe.

"For now, stay quiet."

He injected Kaneki an anesthesia serum into his bloodstream. Within seconds, he was knocked out. Touka immediately rushed to his rescue.

"Kaneki!"

However, Ayato was there to stop her by punching her in the face.

"You're no different than dad. Weak to the bitter end."

This made Touka angry in her own right.

"Don't talk shit about dad! He loved us and protected us with all his strength! YOU HAVE NO IDEA!"

Touka summoned her kagune and shot crimson crystals at Ayato. However, he summoned his much quicker and deflected her attack.

"Oh, but I have every idea. Mom and Dad didn't protect shit because that's all they were. But I'm better. I wanna make the humans and mutants know that we are their superiors in every way!"

Ayato shot his own crystals at his big sister, which proved themselves to be a good deal powerful than hers. The impact of Ayato's attack made her unconscious in a matter of seconds.

"Right now, you're no better than a worm."

Yamori clapped his hands.

"Well, this was fun, but priorities people."

Ayato nodded at Yamori's orders.

"Banjou, stuff the mutie in a bag."

 **And that is it for now. Things are really heating up and getting grim. Is this what hell supposed to feel like? Just joking. Well, we got three more chapters after this. After that, I'm taking a break from fan-fics for a while. Not a long one. Just long enough to get back to my "real" job. I really wanna finish this before the end of the year, so here's hoping I can. Next chapter will be the first of a two parter. Don't forget to leave a review for anything you like or dislike about this chapter. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!**


	14. Ch 13

**Well, here we are. The three-parter finale to this fan-fic (I know in my previous chapter I said two parter, but after re-examining how much content to fit in, I have concluded it to be a three-parter). I want to keep this short because this might be finished in early January if this demands extra care. Let's get to it. In this chapter, we see all of the people that honestly care about Kaneki rally to his rescue. Meanwhile, the GCB has its hands full with the ghoul terrorists of Aogiri Tree. Meanwhile, what is happening to Kaneki during all this?**

Chapter 13 – Storm (part 1)

(GCB Branch Office, 11th ward, the night before)

The interior of the building was no different from that of a slaughterhouse. Ghoul Investigators left and right were systematically killed by ghouls of Aogiri Tree. Although they fought valiantly, it proved itself to be a one-sided fight as the ghouls of Aogiri Tree displayed superior might as they eradicated the Investigators within the building. One of few that survived so far hid away from the fight and contacted the main office.

(GCB Branch Office, 20th ward)

Marude walked in a mild brisk pace within a row of intel officers as he awaited any and all developments in the 11th ward. Eventually, a call from the branch office would be received.

"GCB Main Office…"

Marude took the phone from the Intel officer's hands and took the call himself.

"This is Marude. Status report?"

"Ghouls from Aogiri Tree have entered the building and started slaughtering everyone inside. There's not a lot of us…"

The call went from a status report to a screamfest as the Investigator on the other side of the call yelled in pain before not being audible anymore. A moment of tense silence filled the room before the call would resume. However, this time the person speaking would the leader of the operation.

"Correction. Now there's no one left."

The Investigators in the briefing room reacted in unanimous outrage as the 11th ward now became lost to them. Marude, most of all.

(11th ward)

The leader of the ghoul squad that killed every single Investigator in the branch office eventually met with another one of his comrades. She was wrapped in bandages all over her body while also wearing a maroon-colored cloak with the hood possessing drooping ears. She also wore a pink scarf with flower designs.

"Eto, you ready?"

"Ready when you are, Mr. Tatara."

xxxxxx

(9th ward, two hours later)

A group of ghouls from Aogiri Tree arrived at Daniel Rand's dojo.

"This is the place."

Said the leader of the squad assigned to kill Danny Rand who then gave this order.

"Trash the place! If you see the Iron Fist, KILL HIM!"

His squad yelled in response to their leader's orders. A few of them summoned their kagunes and used them to break the glass front windows and entrance to the gym/dojo. They then started to destroy everything in their sight, tearing down exercising equipment and breaking mirrors. All with delight. As they did so, the leader started to notice that all the noise his squad created did not catch the attention of their target yet.

" _Damn human should be out by now…_ "

Then, one of the ghouls suddenly got decapitated by a weight disc that flew across the room. As soon as it stuck to a wall, the ghouls see one of their comrades completely headless. As the corpse limped to the ground, they all looked where the weight disc flew from. The ghouls soon see two figures. A female ghoul wearing a Doberman-shaped mask and the Iron Fist with fists glowing and an angry look on his face.

"Big mistake, gentlemen."

Said the female ghoul. Iron Fist then made his entire body glow bright. While the female ghoul summoned her kagune. It took the shape of beetle wings with a tail in between. Although the ghouls destroying his gym backed off, their squad leader remained unfazed by his power.

"COWARDS! There's only him and that race traitor! KILL HIM NOW!"

The ghouls followed his orders out of impulse. Which would be their last mistake. One of the first ghouls who attacked him met a swift death when Iron Fist gave a roundhouse kick to the ghoul's head, exploding it on contact. Two of the ghouls commented,

"That's another one he's killed!"

"Are headshots his personal favorite kills?"

They would soon be killed when the Doberman mask ghoul performed killing slices, which made her foes quickly bleed to death.

"No. They're more efficient."

The two ghouls fall as they died.

"At least that's what he tells me."

Before long, the ghoul squad that came to kill Iron Fist, in reality, met their deaths instead. The only one left was their squad leader. Both looked at him, trembling in fear.

"So, you let your men die before fighting yourself? Disgraceful."

The squad leader attempted to run for his life, only to be stopped by the Doberman mask. She sliced his kneecaps to prevent him from taking a single step. Iron Fist approaches him.

"Why did you come here?"

At first, he was silent. Iron Fist looked at Doberman mask, and she nodded in confirmation. She used her kagune to make worse the injury she dealt to the squad leader as he screamed in pain. Iron Fist continued his line of questioning.

"Answer me, you piece of shit!"

"…We were sent here by Aogiri Tree."

"Why?"

"We saw you on TV…heard about the 8th ward fire…you and those two mutants were too dangerous to let live…"

"So you came here to kill me? Is that it?!"

"And that dove mutant…and…"

"Who else?"

Iron Fist grabbed one leg and crushed it with one hand. The squad leader screamed in pain even louder.

"WHO ELSE?!"

"Ku…zu…ri…"

The squad leader fell dead. The female ghoul took off her mask, revealing herself to be Irimi.

"Piotr is in danger, then."

"Not to mention…"

Irimi silently gasped in shock.

"Kaneki."

"We need to let Yoshimura know."

xxxxxx

(8th ward, docks)

Yoshimura and Yomo see the handiwork of militant ghouls that killed every dove that currently laid dead, with a flock of crows flying, occasionally picking the dead.

"Horrible."

Said Yoshimura, summarizing the scene with one word.

"What do we know of them?"

Yomo took off his mask and told Yoshimura when he knew.

"They're a band of ghouls who call themselves Aogiri. While we don't know the number of their forces, we do know they're being led…by the one-eyed king."

Yoshimura straightened his hat before saying one more thing.

"We need to head back."

xxxxxx

(20th ward, in the late afternoon)

Ragdoll stood on top of a mailbox while messing with himself.

"Well, I'm officially lost. And I have no idea what to do about it."

He looks around his surrounding before jumping up.

"A police box! Things are really looking up."

Meanwhile in the 20th branch office of the GCB, Marude sat at the front of the briefing room, giving his fellow Investigators info of those responsible for the 11th ward.

"We have identified the militant ghoul group responsible for the 11th ward. They call themselves Aogiri Tree, and they have over 200 members as far as we can tell. I don't have to tell you that all of this is unprecedented."

Shinohara spoke up asking,

"What's the group's objective?"

Marude rubbed the back of his head, unable to come up with an answer.

"Honestly, I have no idea. All we do know is they have control over the 11th ward. What's worse…"

Marude then showed footage of fights happening within the ward. However, they were not ordinary.

"We're getting reports of the mutants living within the ward fighting back against these ghouls. Because the branch office over there has fallen, they feel abandoned. Taking the fight to the streets, reclaiming their homes by any means necessary."

Some of the Investigators looked at the footage with shock and worry.

"Despite their best efforts, we fear that Aogiri Tree membership will grow in numbers. Even though we are flexing every muscle we have in containment procedure, word will soon get out that this group has conquered an entire ward, and every ghoul that has operated individually will be compelled to join their ranks. War is on our doorstep, and the GCB is fighting on the front lines! We will give everything we have to crush the threat of Aogiri Tree! That is an order! We will mobilize with the 11th ward special task force to-!"

Just then, the door to the briefing room slammed open. The person who came out of it was Ragdoll.

"Excuse me!"

The Investigators were all curious as to who was it that interrupted Marude's speech.

"Hi. I'm Mr. Shinohara's underling. The name's Juuzo Suzuya. Sorry to barge in like this, but I got lost on the way here."

Marude stammered while Shinohara covered half his face with his hand in embarrassment.

"I hope you can find in your heart to forgive me."

Suzuya smiled.

xxxxxx

(20th ward, nighttime)

Yoshimura and Yomo arrived at Anteiku. Upon entering, Yomo noticed the door felt slightly different. As he opened it, both men see the café wrecked, blood platters all over the place. Yoshimura also sees an unconscious Touka laying in front of the employee door.

"Yomo, call a general staff meeting. We're going to be closed for a while."

xxxxxx

As Suzuya leaned on a nearby wall in the briefing room, Marude continued dispersing intel about Aogiri Tree, however much he had.

"There are clear signs of an organized movement. Unfortunately, that's all we know at this time. I would love to charge in against them, but due to how little we know about them, we will engage the enemy in one week. Until then, we will cooperate with Tokyo police to quell the riots currently happening as we evacuate the ward. I will be working with containment to handle the media. Dismissed."

As the Investigators exited the briefing room, Marude decided to make himself known to Shinohara's subordinate.

"So, you're Juuzo Suzuya. Have to admit, you're not what I'm expecting at all."

Shinohara sees Marude talk with Suzuya, and immediately felt nervous.

"Looking at you up-close, I can't tell if you're a slender young man or a flat-chested woman."

Shinohara got to the two of them in time.

"Hey now Marude. Suzuya just got here. He's a little tired, so cut him some slack."

Shinohara led him away from Suzuya.

"I was just making small talk."

Later on, Shinohara talked with Amon.

"Sir, I wanted to ask you…"

"About my subordinate, correct?"

"Forgive me if I sound like I was prying for no good reason."

"It's fine, Amon. The reason why he's working with me is because of his rank."

Shinohara handed Amon a paper containing Suzuya's info. Two details caught him by surprise. One was his picture, which had doing a goofy face while picking his nose. The other…

"He's a third-rank Investigator?"

"From what I can tell, Marude's pulling all of his resources. He must've decided that Juuzo's skills might have a place in his operation. In any case, he was personally admitted by Chairman Washuu himself. Following Arima."

Amon was slightly amazed by how Suzuya came to be part of the GCB.

"I see…"

"Of course, we're not the only ones with a problem child."

"Sir?"

"Aogiri Tree has Jason. And we've got some seriously troubling intel."

"What intel?"

"Well, first off. About Jason. He's S-rated, comes from the 13th ward. He's a sadistic bastard who kills for fun rather than food. He also like to steal stuff that'll make sure killing retains its excitement and thrills."

"What has he stolen?"

"We got a report about a break-in. A Japanese subsidiary of Stark Enterprises reported one of their weapon prototypes stolen about a month ago."

"I thought Stark Enterprises stopped making weapons."

"They did. Which was why this was locked up after Stark came back from Afghanistan. After being picked by the American military and making the announcement that a lot of people believed would ruin his company, any and all testing for this thing ceased and was immediately locked up. My guess is that Aogiri Tree must have some sort of cyber-presence on the internet. Enough for them to know what it was they wanted to steal."

"What did they steal?"

After a brief pause, Shinohara then said,

"A flamethrower."

"Flamethrower?"

"Not just any one. This one is a league of its own. While most flamethrowers can burn stuff up to 1000 degrees, this one can go three times as much."

Amon silently gasped at the idea of Aogiri Tree having such a weapon in their hands.

"This thing can reduce a human to pure ash. Stuff like that makes me want to avoid him like hell."

Amon replied,

"Sounds like got the head of a dragon for a weapon."

"Which reminds me, you came face to face with him once, right?"

Amon expressed a measure of guilt before answering,

"I wasn't the only one."

Shinohara expressed some sadness when Amon subtly mentioned his former partner.

"That's right…"

Amon thought about the night that Madou died. About what happened before he found him dead. He thought about Kaneki when he fought against him in his mask. When he was Kuzuri.

 _flashback_

" **Why the world is so messed up is too big a question to settle with just one answer. All of us share the same burden** "

 _end_

" _What he said to me that night…just brings up memories that…I don't want to relive._ "

Amon remembered his time at the church where he spent his childhood as an orphan. He ran toward the church where he wanted to be with the father, only to see him feeding on one of the children he lived with. Shinohara snapped him back to reality after seeing him lost in thought.

"Amon."

"Sorry sir. Did you ask something?"

"Breathe. It's no big deal. I just wanted to ask if your quinque broken."

"Oh. um… yes, it is."

"Well, take another one from Madou's collection."

"His collection?"

Asked Amon in a surprised tone.

"He left it all to you in his last will and testament. Catch you later."

As Shinohara left, Amon sat slightly astounded at the fact that Madou left his whole quinque collection to him.

"Thank you, Mr. Madou."

xxxxxx

Hide sat in front of his TV, watching a conference taking place in the 20th ward branch office of the GCB. Marude was the one speaking.

"At this point in time, we are increasing our presence in the 11th ward working to pinpoint the location of Aogiri Tree. We are confident that this case will close soon enough."

While the press conference went on, Hide was on his phone, calling Kaneki.

"Come on. Pick up."

He tried at least 10 times before seeking another way to warn him. Within his apartment were books dedicated to ghoul history and physiology. On his walls were notes on ghoul activity near where he lived and locations he frequents. Alongside pictures of said places.

xxxxxx

(20th ward)

In his apartment, Piotr looks at both the conference and the text message that Yomo sent him on a burner phone he had with him. It was a multi-part text message stating the worst possible news. Kaneki was kidnapped by Aogiri Tree. As well as Daniel Rand recently defended himself from an attack by them as well. He sent back two of his own. One where he confessed that ghouls attempted to kill them, but successfully thwarted said attempt. While the second one told of the ongoing crisis behind the scenes. The last thing the two texted about was a request that Yoshimura had for him. Piotr then texted that he speaks with him. Within minutes, Piotr's burner phone rang. Upon answering, he hears Yoshimura's voice.

"Piotr. Are you alright?"

"A little worse for wear, but I am in one piece."

"That's good to hear. After hearing from Irimi that Daniel Rand's dojo was under attack, I feared that you would be targeted as well."

"I thank you for your concern. However, I wish to ask. Is it true what Yomo told me?"

"I'm afraid so. Kaneki has been captured by Aogiri Tree."

Piotr cursed in Russian as his fears came to pass.

"I was actually glad you decided to call me. I have something very important to ask of you."

"You need not say. There is preparation currently underway to assault the location where Aogiri Tree is stationed. I will gladly rescue Kaneki and get him back home in such time."

A brief moment of silence took place before Yoshimura clarified the scope of his request.

"In truth Piotr, what I am really asking of you is a little bigger than what you're thinking."

"Bigger?"

"Are you still in contact with Charles Xavier?"

Piotr had a clue as to what Yoshimura asked of him.

"You wish Kaneki to get out of country?"

"For his own safety. I fear that whatever Aogiri Tree has in store for him, it cannot be good. Not to mention that… I fear that something larger is in play, and Kaneki may have a part to play in it. I fear for him, and for his future. That is why I request this of you, Piotr."

At first, Piotr was hesitant to accept. He first thought about the life that Kaneki made for himself. Despite the hardship he went through, he eventually found himself in a good place as he continued to live his life. However, Piotr knew that the threat of Aogiri Tree would not simply go away. They would prove themselves to be both an ominous presence that would hang over everyone for quite a long time, and an effective tool for underground organizations other than Weapon X.

"Very well. I will let you know what I have for you tomorrow."

"Thank you."

Piotr hung up, and took a deep breath.

" _In truth, this was long time coming…_ "

He got up from his couch, went to his bedroom, looked under the bed and took out a small silver box. On the top of the box was a large X insignia. When he opened it, he takes out a simplistic phone-like communicator. He presses the bottom in the middle, and out came a small holographic screen. On the screen were a list of names of his old teammates. He scrolled through the list until he found 'Professor X.'

xxxxxx

(Westchester, New York)

In a school far from New York City, Charles roamed the halls of his school. He sees the students who stayed for winter break enjoying each other's company or playing outside in the snow. He looks on in pleasure, as he was grateful that after all that had happened with his X-men, his school was still a place where mutants could call a second home. As he passed by the library, he sees a female mutant reading a book. As he looked closer, he sees the topic of the book. It was about Japan. He wanted to talk to her, but would soon be interrupted as he heard a sound that only his psychic abilities could pick up. He wheeled himself to his office as soon as he could. Upon arrival, he hears his communicator vibrating from within his desk.

" _That hasn't been used in…quite a long time._ "

He goes to his desk, opens the cabinet that held his communicator, and checks to see who it was.

" _Piotr…_ "

He answers it to hear his voice once again.

"Piotr?"

"Good to hear you again, Professor."

"It's been a long time, old friend."

"Da. It has. I only wish that it were under…better circumstances."

"Yes. I heard what had happened at Tokyo from a month ago."

"Then, you have idea?"

"Yes, but please explain."

"Logan's son is in danger. He has been kidnapped by ghoul terrorist group. They have already caused significant damage, and they intend to do more. They must've seen Kaneki in action against antagonistic forces. Some people consider him to be hero. Like his father."

"And you believe that was enough for them to kidnap him?"

"That, and another thing has happened here that may leave you in shock."

"Which is what?"

"Weapon X has been active in Japan."

Charles gasped in shock over hearing that Weapon X had laboratories in Japan.

"We feared that Kaneki was taken to other part of world as they hid him. Turns out, they were not far from where I worked. A man by the name of Akihiro Kanou worked with them, but when laboratory was destroyed, he escaped and pretended to be caring doctor to Kaneki for quite long time."

Charles felt a deep sadness for Kaneki.

"I intend to rescue him alongside a man called Daniel Rand?"

"The missing billionaire?"

"Da. He has been living in Japan for quite some time, and has been teaching Kaneki martial arts to defend himself, but after rescue, is it possible for you to take him in and care for him until threat of Aogiri Tree has been eliminated?"

After taking a moment to think, Charles replied,

"I am grateful you have called Piotr. It gives me an excuse to reassemble the team. As soon as I can do so, we'll gladly take part in the rescue attempt of Ken Kaneki."

"Thank you for doing this professor."

"Not at all."

Charles hung up as he looked at a picture of his old team with two member he knew were gone. Then, he wheeled himself to the bottom levels of his mansion. Where the X-men mission equipment, training room, and aircraft were located. In a room next to Cerebro, Charles entered into the team briefing room. Once inside, everything inside activated by themselves. At the center was a cube-like table with holographic screens turning on and the computer OS loading. Charles then typed his password, and used the 'urgent summons' to call what was left of his old team.

xxxxxx

In a cruise-liner on the sea, Storm was enjoying her vacation. Alongside her husband.

"Ororo…"

She sees her husband handing her a mai-tai as he wore a Hawaiian shirt and a rather tight-fitting speedo. Which made her aroused.

"Thank you, T'Challa."

Both lounged on pool chairs, enjoying the scenery. All of a sudden, a smaller ship speed alongside the cruise ship. It was a group of pirates all shooting their AKs in the air, displaying their ruthlessness. The people on board see this and were struck with fear.

"Pirates!"

"What do they want with us?"

One of the pirates yelled,

"Pull up on the starboard side!"

Both Ororo and T'Challa see the commotion and were mildly annoyed by the event.

"Here we are, trying to relax, and pirates come from out of nowhere. Let me handle this."

Ororo refused.

"Let me, love."

Ororo stepped up and said to the passengers,

"Excuse me. Let me handle this."

Ororo's eyes lit up as she summoned a mini-snowstorm to the freeze the pirate's ship in place. The people cheered as they were rescued. One of the passengers expressed his gratitude.

"Thank you. That was amazing. You're one of the X-Men, aren't you?"

"She is my wife."

The passengers turn around to see an African man speaking. One who was very familiar. He also carried her bag.

"Is that…?"

"My husband."

Ororo walked toward T'Challa and embraced him.

"How's about we heard to the buffet-"

Just then, a ringing sound could be heard inside her bag. She broke off the hug to see her old communicator ringing. Something that did not happen for quite a long time.

"Oh my god."

"What is it?"

"Something that hasn't happened in quite a long time."

T'Challa knew it to be a former commitment of hers, and did not hold it against her.

"If you must go, then go. I will wait for you."

"T'Challa…"

"You are my wife. But this is your family. What kind of a husband would I be if I held you from them?"

Ororo kissed him with passion as a gesture of appreciation.

xxxxxx

(University of Washington, Seattle)

Hank McCoy was in the middle of giving a lecture on genetic engineering, in relation to cerebral enhancements, to students.

"In short, as my research makes evident, it is possible to enhance the intelligence of Molluscus Cephalopoda, or the squid, to the same level as the average human. Maybe even above average."

On the front of the classroom where Hank stood was a large fish tank with a lone squid staring at the classroom. The students either were weirded out or laughed at the idea that the squid their professor presented to them could be capable of above-average intelligence.

"Perhaps a demonstration is in order. Watch as this microphone is put into the tank so that he could communicate with us."

Hank did so as the squid grabbed ahold of the microphone. Some of the students barely contained their laughter as they felt their professor was taking a joke too far. Just then, Hank heard beeping. He checked in the cabinet of his desk to see his old communicator ringing, something he believed would never happen again.

"I'm afraid I have to cut this lecture short. My new teaching assistant will now take over."

Now the students all laughed their minds off as they felt the professor just delivered one hell of a punchline. Little did they knew that the joke was nonexistent to begin with.

"Settle down everyone! Now, where were we?"

The students instantly shut their mouths as they sat utterly flabbergasted at the sight of the squid displaying positive cognitive intelligence.

xxxxxx

(Chicago, Illinois)

Scott Summers stood in front of a window with a view of the entire city in front of him in an apartment he shared with Emma Frost. She soon came up from behind him and embraced Scott.

"What's on your mind?"

"Just lost in thought. Maybe thinking about…"

"Your old team?"

Scott felt a little transparent when she read him like a book.

"Am I that obvious or are you using your powers?"

"With you, I don't need to."

Just as the two started to kiss, a beeping sound interrupted them. For Scott it was one that he believed would never happen. At least, not for him. Both went for their bedroom as Scott opened the cabinet that contained a wooden box. As he opened said box, he sees his old X-men communicator beeping for him.

"Scott?"

"It's an urgent summons. Charles uses this if the situation is that serious."

Emma peeked into Scott's mind, seeing the conflict within.

"Are you going?"

"…I don't know. I said some…things I don't know I can take back. Especially at someone I knew…"

Scott remembered Logan and the fallout the two had after. Emma then said to Scott,

"Go."

He was shocked at her giving permission to go on whatever mission Charles had for him. Emma, however, gave a clear reason why she wants Scott to go.

"I could tell on your face alone that you miss your old team. They were your family, and you hated how you left them. I know how devastating Jean leaving earth was for you, but you've already moved on. All that's left…"

Emma levitated to her the keys to Scott's motorcycle.

"Is for you to get back to doing what you love most."

Scott takes the keys floating in front of him, and says to Emma,

"Thank you."

He kisses her in appreciation for her being understanding.

xxxxxx

(South America)

A local village was being plundered by bandits posing as soldiers.

"Le agradecemos su continua donacion para la proteccion de su pueblo. La jungla puede ser un lugar peligroso." ( **We thank you for your continued donation for the protection of your village. The jungle can be a dangerous place**.)

The leader of the bandits laughed maliciously as he took a ruby necklace from a nearby woman. She fell to the ground when he ripped it off her neck. Her son wanted to fight back, but she stopped him. As the bandits drove away from the village, a hidden figure within the tree saw them off and chased after them. He then dissipated in a puff of smoke. The leader of the bandits was too busy enjoying the fruits of his labor that the sudden stop of the jeep almost gave him a heart attack.

"Idiota! Mira hacia donde vas." ( **Idiot! Watch where you're going.** )

"Pero jefe, hay un tronco en el camino." ( **But boss, there is a log on the road**.)

"Bueno, si no estas demasiado ocupado, QUIRELO! Cortez, andele." ( **Well, if you're too busy, REMOVE IT! Cortez, go ahead**.)

The two bandits holding AKs got off the jeep. One went to the front of the jeep and used the front crank to begin removing the log that blocked their path while the other kept his AK to keep watch. As soon as the bandit who worked on the log blocking the path started wrapping the rope around, a cloaked figure suddenly appeared, grabbing him, and disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"Dios Mio…" ( **My god…** )

Said the younger bandit in shock to what he saw. The gunman looked at the area where his comrade was taken while also holding up his AK in defense. Unfortunately, he would soon meet the same fate as his comrade. This angered the bandit leader.

"Quien eres tu? MUESTRATE!" ( **Who are you? SHOW YOURSELF!** )

"Es el diablo de la jungla. El se aprovecha de los pecadores que entran en su tierra." ( **It's the devil of the jungle. He preys on any sinners that enter his land.** )

One of the gunmen who disappeared earlier fell onto the ground, unconscious. The younger bandit panicked and ran.

"COBARDE! Regresa aqui!" ( **COWARD! Get back here!** )

"Estas solo, jefe!" ( **You're on your own, boss** )

"Muestrate. Te das cuenta con quien estas jugando?" ( **Show yourself. Do you realize who you are messing with?** )

The bandit unsheathed his machete as a show of intimidation. He heard some rustling in the trees of the jungle before laughing could be heard. This spooked the bandit leader, compelling him to bolster his bravado.

"Te arrepentiras de haberme molestado!" ( **You will regret messing with me!** )

"Ja. Ich habe viel zubefurchten von einem schlager…" ( **Yes. I have much to fear from a thug…** )

The disembodied voice stopped speaking for a while until the bandit leader heard it close to his left ear.

"der angst hat." ( **scared out of his mind.** )

The bandit leader attempted to kill whoever it was behind him, only to find nothing but little wisps of black smoke.

"Que demonios es esto?" ( **What the hell is this?** )

"Deine alptraume werden lebendig!" ( **Your nightmares come to life!** )

"No le tengo miedo a un mito!" ( **I am not afraid of a myth!** )

The hooded figure appeared before the bandit leader. The bandit raised his machete to kill his foe. However, the hooded figure proved himself slightly stronger than him as he held the arm wielding the machete.

"Du solltest." ( **You should.** )

Then, all of a sudden, the bandit leader soon found himself from being on the road to being near a waterfall mid-air. He yelled as he fell, soon slamming unto the ground upon impact. He gathered himself and got back his machete as he came face to face with the so-called devil. In terms of appearance, it was not far off as the hooded figure soon took off his cloak to reveal a man with a demon-like appearance, all the way down to his tail. His fur was blue and eyes were yellow. When he grinned, it revealed his fang-like teeth. This made the bandit leader astounded at what he saw.

"Que eres?" ( **What are you?** )

"Fur dich die strafe dafur, dass du die schwachen gejagt hast." ( **To you, your punishment for preying on the weak.** )

The bandit leader growled in anger.

"TE CORTARE EN PEDAZOS!" ( **I'LL CUT YOU DOWN TO PIECES!** )

The devil then brought out two pirate swords.

"Vielleicht bereuen sie diese worte, herr banditenlord." ( **You may regret those words, mister bandit lord.** )

The two men charged toward each other with their respective weapons. Moments later, in the village that was robbed earlier, some of the villagers see some of the leaves of the jungle rustling before a familiar jeep rolled toward them. The rest of the village see the jeep, as well as the property that was taken from them earlier. They all gather to properly get back what was taken from them. The boy from before sees, what he thought, the devil of the jungle. Rather than fearing him, he was grateful. The 'devil' waved at him before disappearing. He then appeared at another location far from the village. By then, something on him started beeping.

" _Could it be…?_ "

He brings to out to see his old communicator beeping for him. He knew it to be an urgent summons from Professor X.

"Looks like it's time for the Nightcrawler to return to society."

xxxxxx

(Tokyo, 11th ward, two days later)

Kaneki was in a makeshift cell where he waited for quite a long time. The ghouls did not fear showing how little they cared for the one-eyed mutant they kept. They did not even bother to give him food. The sound of a growling stomach brought back some unpleasant memories.

" _Honestly, this is such a pain…_ "

Kaneki noticed once again that Wolverine did not talk with him again.

" _At first, it was a nice change of pace. But now…_ "

Kaneki slowly began to fear that he was gone for good. He questioned whether or not that was what he desired.

" _I was angry at him for a while…maybe he'll-_ "

Just then, he heard the door to his cell open. He looks up to see Ayato entering and coming toward him.

"Come on."

Kaneki got up, and asked him a question.

"Would've killed you to get me a… I don't know, piece of fruit or something?"

Ayato kicked Kaneki in the gut. He writhed in pain before Ayato said,

"Who said it was okay for you to talk?"

As Kaneki slowly recovered, Ayato then gave him a list of commands.

"This is how it is, mutie. You don't have to right to talk. You don't have the freedom to move as you like. If someone gives you an order, shut up and do it. If somebody tell you to die, then do it. The only thing you can do is breathe and stand still like a doll. Say yes if you understand."

After taking a moment, Kaneki responded,

"F**k off."

Ayato attempted to kick him, but Kaneki leapt backwards to avoid it.

"One-trick pony."

Ayato got angry when Kaneki mocked him.

"What's that you say?"

"You can act like a tough little shit all you like."

 _SNIKT!_

"I can still hurt you."

Ayato brought out his kagune.

"BRING IT, FREAK!"

He leapt up and gave a flying kick to Kaneki. He quickly sidestepped just in time for Ayato to miss, grabbed him by his jacket and slammed him to the nearest wall. Once Kaneki had him pinned down, he then headbutted him three times while responding,

"LOOK…WHO'S…TALKING!"

That last headbutt caused Ayato to bleed blood from his forehead. He limped down and suffered a moment of disorientation. He was still angry at Kaneki, but could not do anything about in the moment. Kaneki took this moment as a means of escape, but all hope of that possible soon vanished as soon as Kaneki was pierced through his chest by a familiar looking kagune. Yamori was behind Ayato without both knowing about it. As he intended.

"Knew I had to keep an eye on you, birdbrain."

Ayato soon regained his senses when he saw Yamori holding Kaneki up to prevent him from escaping. He scowled at both of them for making him feel less then what he should be.

"Get off it. He whupped your ass fair and square. But…"

Yamori then turned his attention to Kaneki.

"No more surprises out of you. You're about to meet some very important people."

All three went upstairs until they made to where a large group of ghouls gathered. Kaneki felt utterly astounded to see so many ghouls in one place.

" _These…are all ghouls…? There has to be at least 100 in here!_ "

"Tatara, I brought him."

Tatara looked at how Yamori brought Kaneki to him.

"Is that really necessary?"

"Well, the one-eyed mutant here got into a little sparing match with Ayato, and I just got the winner before he could escape."

Tatara looked at Ayato a little before giving the order.

"Bring him here."

"Yes sir."

As Yamori brought Kaneki closer, Tatara could see Kaneki's red eye. As Yamori brought him down, Tatara observed him for a little while.

"What do you know about Weapon X?"

"Why should I tell you anything?"

Everyone in the room either scrunched in fear or looked on in excitement as Kaneki made Tatara a little angry with his defiance.

"Last chance. We know they had something to do with Rize's death. We want to know how."

After a moment of silence, Kaneki gave his response.

"I'm gonna tell you the same thing I told to breadstick over there."

Ayato growled a little to the insult he was dealt. While Yamori chuckled a little at it.

"F**k off."

Tatara punched Kaneki in the gut.

"Kirishima."

"What is it?"

"Keep him locked up. Get some human food to make him stay alive."

The ghouls all gasped as to why he would keep the mutant alive. Ayato voiced his questions.

"But sir. why would you-?"

"I want him alive for interrogation. Yamori. That's your job."

He grinned at the opportunity to do what he loved best.

"Yes sir."

Just then, another ghoul alongside Tatara spoke.

"We have to get going soon. Our comrades are waiting for us."

"Very well. I'll leave the rest to you, Noro. Soon, the doves will catch up to what we're doing here. Do everything as we planned."

As the ghouls left the room, one in particular caught his sight. He saw one ghoul covered bandages while hearing a cloak with a hoodie that seemed to possess ears. Yamori told Ayato,

"You heard the man, breadstick. Get him in the cage."

Ayato snarled at being called breadstick.

"Say that one more time. I dare you."

Ayato's eyes turned red. Yamori diffused the tension.

"Relax. I was just joking. In all seriousness, I need at least a day to get all my equipment together."

"Equipment?"

"Tatara told me to get whatever he has on Weapon X. I need time to get everything together. Or do you need help with that?"

Ayato scoffed at the offer. He then went to Kaneki and ordered him around.

"Get moving, mutie."

To no avail.

"I SAID-!"

Ayato gave another swift kick to Kaneki's stomach, but was blocked once again, and this time, Kaneki did not let go of his leg. He gave a serious look of his own. It gave Ayato pause in his resentment to Kaneki before he let go of his leg.

"I know where to go."

Kaneki went to the cage he was held in of his own free will. To the surprise of every ghoul that was in the room. While Ayato felt his sense of humiliation rowing every second. A couple of hours passed since meeting Tatara; Kaneki still felt his stomach growling. Annoyed by it for the last time, He got up and banged the cage door.

"Hey! What's a mutant got to do to get some f***ing food here?!"

At first, nobody answered. However, when he walked away from the cage door, it opened to reveal Banjou carrying a pizza box.

"Banjou?"

"Hey Kaneki. How you holding up?"

"Annoyed by the sound of my own stomach."

"Figures. That's why I got you this."

Kaneki smiled as he knew that his initial judgement about Banjou proved itself correct.

"Humans like pizza, right? I see a lot of commercials on TV that show humans crazy about this stuff."

Kaneki took the pizza box in gratitude.

"They're more or less accurate."

When Kaneki opened the pizza box, he discovered, to his dismay, to be pineapple pizza. Banjou explained why.

"It looked pretty, so I chose that."

Kaneki hid his grief as he could not afford to be picky.

" _Better than nothing…_ "

As he ate, Banjou voiced a rather risky proposition.

"Kaneki, let me help you get out here."

"Run? From here?"

"Ayato and Yamori are away right now. I know you went along with this because you knew there was no chance before. But I got a plan. A way to get you out of here. Not to mention…"

Kaneki was curious as to what Banjou was holding back.

"When some of the ghouls here heard your name, a lot of them came forward, wanting to help you."

He was shocked to hear such a detail.

"Maybe it's because of what they saw on TV, but they really want to help you all the same. You won't have another chance like this again."

Kaneki eventually warmed up to Banjou's offer after finishing the pizza Banjou gave him.

"All right. Let's get the hell out of here."

"Cool. First, let's have you meet them."

Banjou led Kaneki to where the ghouls who wanted to help him escape. Once there, he sees that there was not a lot.

"Here they are."

Aside from Banjou's group, there were some other ghouls in the room, among them a child and his mother.

"Kaneki…"

"You alright?"

"For the moment. Are these the people you talked about?"

"Yeah. This is him everyone."

They all looked at Kaneki with differing reactions. Some looked at him apprehension, others with glee.

"These are the ghouls who want to help you get out of here."

"Actually…"

The mother spoke up.

"I do want to help him, but not before I ask him something."

"Hinawa, what are you talking about?"

She approached him.

"I heard about a mutant in the 20th ward whom, if you eat his flesh, you'll be able to eat human food a day later."

Everyone in the room ere, surprised to say the least, that Hinawa insinuated that mutant was Kaneki.

"Are you that mutant?"

"…Yes I am."

Everyone's reactions were unanimously stupefied.

"Then, would you give your flesh to my son? Kouto, come here."

Her son stepped forward to meet Kaneki.

"He's a good boy, and I want the best for him. But if everyone sees him as a ghoul, he won't be able to live any kind of life."

While everyone felt a swirl of emotions regard to Hinawa's request, Kaneki felt a sense of welcome familiarity. He then rolled up the sleeve of his shirt and presented his arm to Kouto.

"The taste is going to feel nasty. After that, in about an hour or so, he'll go under a fever. Get some fever reducer pills to help with that."

"Go on, Shun."

Shun did what his mother asked of her, and bit into Kaneki's arm. The bite did feel painful, but he dealt with it for Kouto's sake. Kouto at first struggled with the taste of Kaneki's arm, but forced himself to swallow it.

"You're right. It is nasty."

A few of the ghouls laughed at Kouto's reaction while his mother hugged him. Banjou then gave the order.

"All right. Let's get him out of here."

Banjou gave Kaneki a cloak.

"It's for the escape. You'll need it."

As they were making it outside, Banjou gave the details of his plan.

"Most of the big shots of Aogiri have already left. The only ones left are the Bin Brothers. His shift on guard duty is almost up. We only have one chance."

As soon as the group made it outside, a few of them scanned the area for any patrols.

"Let's go."

Said Banjou, with everyone soon following his lead.

"We're not noticed so far."

"Nah. Those Bin bastards can be careless sometimes. We got this in the bag."

"Kaneki."

Said one of the ghouls.

"When I heard rumors about a mutant who can help ghouls eat human food, I can't help but think maybe that's why Aogiri Tree exists."

Kaneki was confused at first.

"Think about it. What separates a mutant and a ghoul? What they eat. Mutants are really just humans with powers that their DNA provides them. Ghouls have powers as well, but we need to eat humans in order to live. What are the chances that this would happen? That this is what results when all three species live in one world? I think the results are you, Kaneki. And they hate that. We got jerks like Ayato think that ghouls are a superior species. And don't tell me that there are mutants who believe in the same thing."

"Hey Shun. Cut the chatter."

Said Banjou. Just then, one strange looking ghoul wandered on the path the group currently ran on. As soon as he saw them, he screamed at the top of his lungs. Banjou's people swiftly killed him.

"Damn it. He saw us."

Said Banjou with Shun asking,

"Did anyone hear…"

Shun sees the younger Bin brother spotting the group. As well as Banjou.

"Oh shit he heard that."

The Bin brother dropped to the ground and sped to where the group was.

"RUN!"

Yelled Banjou. Although the group ran as fast as they could, the Bin brother could still catch up to him. Kaneki could see him catching up as well, and prompted him to run faster than he could before. Much to his benefit, he did as he ran faster than the rest of the group. One of the ghouls wanted to speak up, but Banjou stopped him from doing so.

"As soon as he's ahead, split up."

Kaneki continued to run. He looked behind him to see how his progress was going. He could barely see the Bin brother, much to his delight. However, he could also see the group lagging behind as well. Banjou sees that and shouts,

"Forget about us! Get out of here, Kaneki!"

Kaneki then saw Hinawa slipping while she held her son's hand. The group also see this as well when the Bin brother finally caught up to them, leapt up into the sky, and summoned his kagune to kill her. Kouto stepped in front of his mother to protect her. Although he held his ground, terror filled his every thought as the Bin brother inched closer and closer to him. Although Banjou's first instinct was to protect the two, his body proved itself too slow to act on said instinct as Kaneki sped right past him and stood between Kouto and the Bin brother.

 _SNIKT!_

Kaneki used his claws to keep his opponent at a distance.

"Get away."

He said to Hinawa as she picked herself up and ran from the scene. As soon as she and her son ran, Banjou then said to Kaneki,

"You had a way out! Why didn't you take it?"

"Wasn't that obvious?"

The Bin brother sees what kind of person Kaneki was.

"No regrets, mutant?"

"None so far. Just one question before you try to kill me. Is your target everyone here or just me?"

"What of it?"

"If your target was everyone else, then I have every reason to stay."

The group felt a little guilty as they felt they were holding Kaneki behind.

"What if I just wanted you?"

"Well then…I'd have to practice the Joestar family technique on you."

"Joestar?"

"It's from a manga series I seriously love to death. And it's really simple to do."

Kaneki quickly retracted his claws and said as he ran,

"RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!"

Both the group and the Bin brother were slightly baffled by this sudden turn. Banjou soon picked up on why Kaneki did what he did.

" _He's playing the coward because I wanted him to run. Goddamn, Kaneki. You had me going there for a second._ "

However, that opportunity for escape quickly shut down as Kaneki felt a human foot slamming itself to his left face cheek. It was revealed to be Ayato as he gave a flying kick to his face, causing Kaneki's head to be slammed to a nearby tree, and suffering a bout of disorientation. Banjou wanted to go to his side, but was dealt a swift punch to his gut. He keeled over to his knees and looks up to see Ayato angry at him.

"You've screwed up before, but this…"

He kicks Banjou in the head.

"YOU'VE REALLY F***ED IT UP NOW!"

"Hang on."

Ayato stopped as Yamori told him to.

"Listen, he couldn't go through with it because he simply wasn't capable of it. There's other punishments worse than death."

"Like what?"

"Like this."

Yamori showed Banjou the tools he gathered for Kaneki's interrogation.

"He's gonna get a front row seat."

Banjou feared for the worst when he saw the tools Yamori would most definitely use for Kaneki's interrogation.

"Is the mutant knocked out?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Get him ready."

Yamori then spoke to the younger Bin brother.

"I apologize for all this. I'll do one hell of a job to make up for all this."

"It better be."

Yamori then said to Nico,

"Get the mutie fan club into the isolation room."

"Oh my. Rather cruel…"

"It's mercy, actually."

Yamori sees the tools he brought and chuckled a little at how he was going to enjoy what will happen next.

xxxxxx

(Anteiku, the next night)

Touka looked outside the window, waiting for the staff meeting to start. Hinami could feel the uneasiness inside of her chosen big sister, and held her hand to lift some of said uneasiness.

"Hey Hinami."

"He'll be okay. He's tough, and can take on anything."

"No doubt. Guy can take a licking and give it back to you ten times over."

Said Nishiki, who was also in the rom while sitting on a couch.

"Yeah, you're right."

Just then Yoshimura arrived. Behind him were Irimi, Danny, Koma, and Piotr. Just as everyone took their own respective seats, Yoshimura started the meeting.

"I'm grateful to see you all here. A couple more will be joining us later. Let's go ahead and get started. For those who don't have the full picture, chaos has been rampant in the 11th ward. That chaos is caused by Aogiri Tree. Thankfully, it hasn't reached here yet. But that doesn't mean that we need to plan ahead in case it does come here. That said, the elephant in the room must be addressed. Kaneki's kidnapping."

Touka tenses up when Yoshimura brought it up. While Danny leaned forward in response to Yoshimura bringing it up, to Irimi's concern.

"He will be rescued."

The tension in the room lifted when Yoshimura brought up the idea that everyone wanted to hear.

"But not by us."

Now confusion filled the room. Nishiki yelled in response to this.

"What the hell?!"

"Shut up! Quit yelling."

Nishiki felt his shoulder being grabbed. He sees that it was Danny doing so, silently urging him to calm down.

"Please clarify, Yoshimura."

"Thank you, Danny."

Nishiki sat down to listen.

"As I said before, Kaneki will be rescued. The people that will be responsible for his liberation will also be responsible for his safety from now on."

"His safety?"

Asked Danny.

"Piotr, have you made the call?"

"Da. I have."

"And?"

"In two days, they will arrive and I will be joining them in the effort."

Touka voiced her concerns.

"Yoshimura, what are you talking about? Who's going to be responsible for Kaneki?"

"I've asked Piotr to contact…Charles Xavier."

Nearly everyone in the room were shocked to hear that name.

"You mean the man who made the X-Men?"

Asked Koma to which Yoshimura responded,

"Yes. I asked Piotr to see that not only he rescues Kaneki, but also to keep him in his school in America for his safety."

"Until when?"

Asked Hinami, in a concerned tone.

"Until the threat of Aogiri Tree is gone."

"But…take could take months. Years even."

Said Danny in a forlorn tone.

"I understand what you are feeling, Danny, but you have to understand what I am protecting him from. Aogiri Tree is a heartless organization, filled with ghouls who live to fight. It won't be easy to sneak into their base and rescue Kaneki. That is why I asked Piotr of this. The X-Men are far better trained for this sort of thing."

Everyone in the room sat silently at what Yoshimura told them. Even though they wanted to rescue Kaneki, it would be best if he were out of the reach of Aogiri Tree if they decide to take him away again. Hinami, however, did not agree to this.

"But why? Why does he have to go away?"

"Because even if Aogiri Tree decide to leave him alone after this, there's also the GCB. They have already listed Kaneki as a person of interest. Once they know Kaneki was kidnapped by them, his life would most likely never be the same again. Not to mention they're already probably mobilizing to the 11th ward in order to stomp the threat of Aogiri Tree. If we tried to rescue Kaneki during their raid, we would most likely die from the attempt."

"Well, we have to do something. We can't just abandon him. He's one of us."

Said Nishiki. Touka then spoke up.

"I'm going."

Everyone turned their attention to Touka.

"Have you've forgotten our policy, sir? If you won't help him…"

She stood up from her seat.

"Then I'll go."

"I'm going too."

Said Nishiki, to Touka's surprise.

"He may be a bit of a dork, but I owe him a lot. It's the least I can do."

"Room for one more?"

Asked Danny as stood up from the seat he shared with Irimi.

"I wouldn't be much of a teacher If I let my student stay with murderous terrorists, now would I?"

"I want to go, too."

Said Hinami, much to everyone's surprise.

"Kaneki's done so much for me. I don't like it that he has to go away, but I don't want him in danger anymore."

She held both of Touka's hands.

"If I can help, just tell how and I'll do it."

Yoshimura was touched by just how much everyone was willing to go for Kaneki's sake.

"We still have time. Piotr."

"Yes, Yoshimura?"

"Would you contact Charles Xavier once more? Have him and his team stop by our coffee shop."

"Are you sure you want to do that? He does not know about my involvement you. As good as man you are…"

"I was hoping I would appease to his…educational side."

"Very well. I will tell Charles Xavier."

Piotr left the room to make one last call. As he went to the café to make the call, he sees Yomo entering the café.

"Yomo."

"Piotr. Has the meeting already started?"

"Da. I would more than pleased to…"

He stopped due to seeing someone that gave him pause. Yomo realizes this and explained why. Meanwhile, upstairs,

"Please understand. I never intended to abandon Kaneki by doing this. I was simply thinking of his safety. However, even with the assistance of the X-Men, I cannot guarantee your lives."

"Sir, I speak for everyone when I say we're willing to do whatever it takes."

Said Touka, with everyone nodding in agreement.

"Very well then. There's one more matter. Yomo, you can come in now."

The door opened to reveal Yomo, alongside an unwelcome sight.

"Not this guy!"

Said Nishiki in an upset tone.

"Mai qui. It is me."

It was revealed to be Tsukiyama to be the extra backup. He spoke in French a little before explaining himself.

"Imagine my horror when I discovered my best friend, Kaneki's, life was in danger. I knew to rush right over and help in any way. The lowlife scum who captured him must pay. I tend to make sure of that."

Tsukiyama sees everyone in the room. Including one enhanced human.

"Ah. Monsieur Rand. How long has it been?"

"Not. Long. Enough."

Danny then asked Yoshimura,

"Why is he here?"

"I asked him to come."

"Like hell he's tagging along! Whatever his reason is, they're not for our benefit."

Said Touka in outrage.

"I know how you feel, but the hard truth is we are short on manpower. Even with the X-Men on our side, they can't really be seen with us."

Touka realized that if it was known that the X-Men sided with ghouls, they would be treated like pariahs and be ruthlessly hunted down.

"With his help, we can survive this."

Danny then asked,

"How are you survive what happened?"

"Simply put, my family has the best medical procedures money can buy. I instructed a few people close to me to search for me if I hadn't come home for two days. That's how long it took for me to recover what… _Victor Creed_ … did to me. You can image my satisfaction when I saw that news story about Kaneki killing the mutant who prevented me from enjoying him. It…FELT SO GOOD! Seeing my beloved Kaneki avenging me in front of the whole world! I felt so…ecstatic."

Touka could not take being in the same room as him anymore.

"Why would you trust him?! He's only in to get a chance at Kaneki."

"He won't get one."

Said Yomo.

"I'm keeping an eye on him."

"Yomo, any movement from the GCB?"

"They're planning a major assault in two days. First, they're focusing on evacuating the civilians form the area. That should give enough time to meet with the X-Men and discuss strategy. If there is going to be a talk."

"There will be one. Once they begin their assault, we'll use it as cover for locating and rescuing Kaneki. We'll further develop the plan once we meet with the X-Men here. Any objections?"

Although Touka hated teaming up with the likes of Tsukiyama, she had no choice but to compromise. For Kaneki's sake.

"No sir."

 **And we are done for now. Part two should be done in two weeks. I am uber dedicated to finishing this before the end of the year, but perhaps the last chapter will be done a little after the new year. Either way, I hope you enjoyed it. And there's more to come, so stay tuned! Don't forget to leave a review telling me what you liked or didn't liked, and share with your friends of you haven't already. Happy holidays from your favorite fan-fic author!**


	15. Ch 14

**Here we are. The midway point, and goddamn! There is a lot going on. The X-Men finally arrive at Japan, and meet with only an old friend, but also potential allies in order to rescue Kaneki. And then there's the GCB all ready to go to war with Aogiri Tree after making the 11** **th** **ward devoid of civilian life. Blood will be spilt as Kaneki is "interrogated" for information. Guess who doing said interrogation. here we go.**

Chapter 14 – Storm (part 2)

Charles Xavier waited in front of his school for his X-Men to arrive. The first to do so was Ororo. She used the wind to fly her way to the mansion.

"Hello Charles."

"Welcome home, Ororo."

The two hugged.

"It's been far too long."

"How's T'Challa?"

"Same. Stoic, but adorable. But I have missed you."

A car soon rolled up the driveway, revealing to be both Hank McCoy and Kurt Wagner.

"Hank. Kurt."

Said Charles in a pleasing tone.

"Guten Tag, mein friends."

"I can't tell you how I happy I was to get your call. Between staff meetings and university food, academia was starting to get a little…stale."

"It's good to have you all-"

Charles was interrupted by the sounds of a motorcycle revving down as it slowed down. Everyone was shocked to see Scott come back. He got off his bike and said hello to the team.

"Hi everyone."

Everyone remembered how Scott was when Jean left the planet. They all remembered how broken he was since that day. The tense silence was broken when Kurt teleported behind Scott and spooked him.

"GHAAH! Kurt! I thought you stopped doing that."

"Ah. Just a little fun, old friend. Still stiff as a board after all this time."

Scott sighed as he was still the same stick in the mud he ever was.

"Seriously…"

The team laughed at how this brought up pleasant memories.

"Welcome back, Scott."

Said Charles, to which Scott responded,

"It's…really good to be back, Professor. So, what's the occasion?"

Charles then had a solemn look on his face.

"It's rather a sad situation that we…must take action on."

They all eventually went to the briefing room in the mansion underground.

"This is the mission I called you all for. This is Ken Kaneki, Logan's son."

Everyone reacted to hearing about the mission being about Kaneki.

"I thought he was missing. After…"

"His death. Yes, Ororo. However, he would eventually be found wandering the streets of Tokyo. This is him now."

Charles showed both the student ID photo taken by Kami University, as well as the news footage of the chaos that occurred more than a month ago in Tokyo's 9th ward.

"It would seem that Ken Kaneki has been following in his father's footsteps."

Said Hank with Scott asking the following question.

"Is he in any danger?"

"Unfortunately yes. I was contact by an old comrade of ours. Piotr."

"Colossus? What's he been doing all this time?"

"He's an Investigator for the GCB in Japan."

"So, our old metal comrade is now a ghoul-jaeger?"

"Yes Kurt. He first contacted me about Kaneki…seven years ago, if I'm correct. Then he did so again two more times recently."

"Recently?"

"The first time was about his capture."

Everyone in the room were shocked to hear Kaneki being kidnapped again.

"There's a lot to explain. So, I'll start with the relevant details. Kaneki was captured by a group of ghouls in the area. Ordinarily, Piotr could handle something like this on his own, but recently, The GCB in Tokyo, Japan have been embroiled in a developing situation that demanded an evacuation of an entire city ward."

"How? Have the ghouls been growing stronger?"

Asked Ororo.

"In some ways, yes. From what I have been able to gather, there's an organized ghoul movement that has the city on high alert. Several GCB assets are preparing to mobilize into the 11th ward as we speak, where this ghoul group has been located."

Kurt then asked,

"How is Kaneki been connected to all this?"

"He has captured a fair amount of attention due to his mutation, and…"

Charles then showed an online video of Kaneki defeating Kraven the Hunter.

"His recent victories against high-profile criminals. It may have led them to believe that Kaneki was positioning himself to be the city's defender."

Hank replied,

"That is one explanation."

"Which leads me to the other call. Piotr has asked me that we all meet at this location."

Charles then showed a map of the 20th ward in Tokyo. The computer's GPS pinpointed to a coffee shop. Ororo spoke out its name.

"Anteiku?"

"Piotr requested that you all meet him there. He'll explain why once all of you arrive."

All nodded as Scott ended the briefing.

"Suit up."

Everyone switched from their previous clothing to their old X-Men costumes. They were mostly uniform, consisting of blue and yellow spandex suits, with few minor alterations to accentuate their individuality. Once prepared, the X-Men then went to the jet, the Blackbird. Both Hank and Ororo sat in the pilot seats.

"So Hank, you think the blackbird will still run? It hasn't been used in under 20 years."

"This plane was made to last twice as long, with room to make proper upgrades of course."

"Maybe we should've taken some time to get those done."

"If Hank says she can still fly, she'll fly."

"I appreciate the vote of confidence, Scott."

The overhead opened up as the Blackbird started to ascend to the sky and immediately took off to Tokyo.

xxxxxx

(11th ward)

Kaneki slowly woke up. As he did; he found himself in his uniform, all tattered, his wrists, chained together, and on a chair. In front of him was Yamori, sorting out his tools. All while having blurry vision for a while.

"Ah, you're awake. This is my room. This is where I have my…interrogations. Don't hesitate to make yourself comfty. Tatara wanted any and all information on Weapon X out of you. By any means necessary, of course."

Yamori finally finished sorting out his tools.

"At first, I was happy that he gave the job to me. When I first saw you, I just couldn't wait to see how you squirm. But you…"

Yamori cracked one of his fingers.

"Are a hard kid to crack."

He then put on his hockey mask. Kaneki sees the mask, and his eyes widened as he found the ghoul he was looking for. Yamori grabbed the top of his head.

"Let's try again, shall we?"

Yamori reached out to the table that head his tools and picked up a syringe.

"Normally, I would use serums that make a ghoul feel nothing but intense pain. That's why I had to leave for a while. Believe it or not, you're the first mutant I'm doing all this to."

He then injected Kaneki with an unknown chemical, which slowly started to burn throughout his bloodstream.

"My special blend of sodium pentothal. Something I made up on the spot. My finest work, in my opinion. Before you're compelled to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth; First, you're going to feel like I just injected magma into your body."

Kaneki screamed as he felt an intense burning sensation all over his body.

xxxxxx

(GCB Branch office, 20th ward)

"Here's the situation at hand. Two months ago, the shopping mall in question was occupied by a large force of ghouls. Over the last week, they've substantially increased their numbers. So far, we count 500 ghouls…"

As the briefing went on, Amon looked at the quinque he picked from the collection that Madou gave him.

 _flashback_

Shinohara stood alongside Amon, determining which quinque was better suited to him. After trying out three, Shinohara chose one that he believed better suited him.

"You sure, sir?"

"Long-range and mid-range combat, you're average. Where you excel is close-combat. Madou believed this as well."

 _end_

As the briefing went on, Amon thought hard about the quinque given to him.

" _I won't let you down, Mr. Madou._ "

The briefing stopped all of a sudden when Shinohara entered with vital news. News that Marude eagerly expected.

"The evacuation has been completed."

Before Marude could give the order, Shinohara then said,

"I also have a new development I have to report."

Everyone murmured to each other while Marude seethed in anger as he felt cockblocked.

"It better be good."

"I got a report from Piotr Rasputin."

"And what did the metallic Russian want?"

"Ken Kaneki was kidnapped by Aogiri Tree two days ago."

This report struck a nerve with Amon.

"Jesus Christ! What bullshit is that kid in now?!"

"Well apparently, video footage of him taking down an enhanced criminal went viral more than a month ago."

Shinohara went up, and used the system to bring up a recording of Kaneki taking down Kraven the Hunter. A few of the Investigators talked among themselves about what they were seeing.

"Mr. Rasputin believes that this, combined with what happened in the 9th ward, made Aogiri Tree believed that he was a threat to what they plan, and captured him before that would happen. At least that's what he told me."

"What of it?"

"He wants to participate in the operation on the condition that Ken Kaneki's rescue is put into the mission parameters."

The Investigators talked further while Amon continued to silently seethe.

"Impossible. Even if I grant him that, there's over 500 ghouls in the area."

"He knows that. Which is why he's asked of another condition. He wants to bring in both Daniel Rand with him…"

"The so-called Iron Fist?"

"Yes. And…"

Everyone waited for Shinohara to finish his sentence.

"The X-Men."

The last thing he said made the room explode with surprise as the Investigators commented on how having the X-men involved could tip the scales in their favor. Amon stood surprised as well, but for different reasons.

"The X-Men you say?"

"Piotr intends to debrief them of the situation and asked for their help in this, in return for not only his safe rescue, but also to get him out of the country for his own safety."

"Is that all?"

"Pretty much."

Marude gave a big sigh of relief.

"Hell of a deal, if you ask me. I'd do anything to get that little prick to stop giving me headaches."

"Well, that make two. I told this to Kamibochi, and he actually looked relaxed about it."

Nearly everyone in the room laughed before Marude gave the order.

"Let's kick some ass!"

"YES SIR!"

All of the Investigators suited up with their weapons by their side, exited the building, and entered the combat buses taking them to where Aogiri Tree fortified themselves. Police officers stood ready in the streets as they guided the buses to their destination.

xxxxxx

(Anteiku)

Everyone waited in the barely-lit café, waiting for Piotr to bring in his former teammates in aiding the rescue. Touka, Nishiki, and Hinami waited with silent tension. Danny held Irimi's hand in consoling her nervousness. Tsukiyama simply enjoyed a cup of coffee. Koma was watching the news report about the on-going situation at the 11th ward.

"At this moment a joint force of over 1,000 GCB and law enforcement are awaiting the order to storm the 11th ward. The man responsible for leading the operation is Special Investigator Marude Itsuki."

Marude stands in front of a camera, holding a microphone, giving a speech to the city.

"We give our lives for the success of this operation. We will put everything on the line to save 99 percent of the people of this city. For the one percent, they will have to rely on you working together. With your cooperation, we will bring peace and order to the 11th ward."

As the report went on, Nishiki spotted a Humvee and a brown-haired individual wearing rose-tinted sunglasses riding a motorcycle.

"I think they're here."

"You think?"

Asked Touka.

"Don't start. Look at that humvee."

They see an X in a circle on the side of the humvee. Soon after, they see people exiting the vehicle. Two of which had visible mutations. Mutations that made Hinami look with astonishment.

"This the place, Piotr?"

Asked Scott as he off his bike.

"Da. Please. Come inside."

As everyone saw Piotr leading his old team, Koma turned off the TV as Touka said,

"Someone get Yoshimura. They're already here."

By the time she finished, the X-Men already entered. They all looked around to see the state of the café.

"Seems this place has seen better days."

"Kurt, don't be rude."

Replied Scott, reprimanding him for his obnoxious comment. Hank took a sniff of the place and sees blood splatters on the floor.

"I think this place has seen some…unwanted action."

"A lot more than you know."

Said Danny, catching the attention of Hank. He took a moment to remember where he seen Danny before.

"You seem familiar somewhat."

"Right. Allow me to introduce everyone to each other."

Piotr cleared his voice to get started.

"To my left are the Individuals that make the X-Men. The man in the sunglasses is Scott Summers. Callsign: Cyclops."

Scott points to his sunglasses.

"These things aren't for show. My mutant powers are that I shoot lasers out of my eyes. Problem is, there's no off switch."

Everyone thought positively of Scott as he seemed the responsible one.

"He is also team leader in combat situations. Next is this lovely woman."

"If I may, Piotr?"

"Please."

"My name is Ororo Munroe. My callsign is Storm."

A small gust of wind arose from inside the café. Everyone covered their eyes a little, but Tsukiyama kept his open to see in awe what her powers can do.

"Sacre Bleu."

Everyone then saw what Ororo was doing. He was using the wind to levitate herself from the ground.

"I can manipulate the weather to do almost anything I want."

"Amazing, is it not?"

"Ce magnifique. That's all there is to say."

"The next two have their mutations pretty visible."

"Unfortunately so. Allow me. My name is Hank McCoy. On the field, I am referred as Beast."

Hinami looked from behind Touka. She was not afraid of the X-Men. Rather, just shy around new people. She looked at Hank wanting to know him better, but her shyness initially prevented her acting on her desire.

"His appearance doesn't show his true talent. Hank is genius-level intellect. His knowledge of almost every field of science has aided X-Men in critical situations."

Hinami slowly walked forward to Hank and tugged on his jacket.

"Excuse me."

Hank looked around to see Hinami, looking timid.

"How can I help you, young lady?"

"Could I…shake your hand?"

Hank presented his left hand to her. She gently grabs it, and holds it for a while.

"It's warm and fuzzy."

She smiled at Hank, to which he returned.

"Fascinated by me, young lady?"

"I think you're cute."

Everyone laughed a little as nobody called Hank cute before.

"I love your fur. It's really soft."

"Then you should love mine as well, fraulein."

Said Kurt as he appeared behind her. She sees him and made a small shriek as she hid behind Hank. The X-Men groaned at his behavior.

"Nice one, Kurt. She's scared of you now."

Said Scott, in an annoyed tone.

"Apologies. It was not my intention."

As he laughed away, the ghouls of Anteiku deadpanned at how much of an airhead the thin, dark blue mutant acted.

"This one is Kurt Wagner. His mutation, aside from his demon-like appearance, is that of-"

"Wait! I wish to demonstrate."

Kurt then promptly disappears in a puff of smoke. This put made almost everyone negatively surprised. The X-Men looked on with annoyance while Tsukiyama clapped.

"Tries bien. Tries bien. What is his ability, again?"

"It's teleportation."

"Hank is correct. His callsign is Nightcrawler. He once worked in a traveling circus before Charles Xavier found him."

When Piotr told his ghoul allies that Kurt's mutant ability was teleportation, Koma asked,

"When you said teleportation, he can appear anywhere he want to?"

"Da…"

Piotr suddenly realized how all this was going to go south real fast.

"Oh no…"

At first, the X-Men were confused as to what was going on.

"Piotr, what is it that you're worried about?"

"It is the reason why you are here-"

Kurt teleported back to the café with both of his swords as he pointed them to the yet-revealed ghouls. At first, this upset Scott.

"Kurt, what the hell are you doing?"

"These people are ghouls! I just discovered bags of flesh within one of their storage rooms!"

Everyone was shocked to hear that.

"Piotr, is this true? Are they ghouls?"

Danny stepped up and spoke to them in a calm voice.

"Please. Just give us your patience. I'm sure that if you listen to Piotr, he can give you a good picture. However, Mr. Summers, let me assure you. No one here has any intention to hurt anyone. So please, tell your teammate to put his swords down."

Everyone looked at Scott to make the right decision. In his mind, Scott knew that part of the responsibilities of the X-Men was to protect both humans and mutants from ghouls. The people in front of them were his de-facto enemies. And yet, it did not feel right to start a bloodbath where one was not necessary.

"Kurt, sheathe our sword."

"Scott-!"

"I said sheathe, not put them back in the humvee."

"Understood."

Hinami instantly went to Touka's side. Hank looked on in shock in being presented the opportunity that she was a ghoul.

"I'm giving you five minutes, Piotr. Please tell me…that being here didn't turn you into a species traitor."

Piotr felt hurt being called that. Touka could see it on his face as he expressed it. As she felt the desire to speak up, the door of the café opened to reveal Yoshimura, Yomo, and Uta entering.

"Uta?"

"Hey there Touka."

All three could see what was happening, but failed to find the words to describe it, momentarily.

"Wow. Looks like a throwdown waiting to happen."

Yoshimura pleaded with everyone to stay calm.

"All right now. I think a conversation is in order. Piotr, are these people your old team?"

"Da, Yoshimura."

"Excellent. Which one of you leads this team?"

Scott raised his hand.

"I am. Scott Summers."

Yoshimura extended his hand to Scott.

"I am the owner of this establishment. Call me Yoshimura."

The two shook hands.

"I imagine you already know what we are."

"Pretty much."

"Well, before we get to the…ugly details, how about I make you some coffee?"

The X-Men accepted his unusual offer. Whey each of the X-Men took a sip, Ororo was the first to voice her pleasure.

"This is absolutely delicious."

"I agree. You've really brought out the texture and taste of the beans."

Said Hank with Kurt agreeing.

"Ja. What he said."

Scott took a sip as well. He too liked the coffee, but this only brought up more questions.

"Is this something your kind enjoys?"

"Yes. Coffee is one of the few things we ghouls enjoy as much as you and humans do."

"So, how did you get Piotr come to your side? And Kaneki for that matter?"

"Therein lies a story. One I hope you'd be…open-minded to listening."

"Well…I wouldn't say no. As long as it…answers some of the questions that came to my mind."

"I'll do the best I can."

Yoshimura then started on how Anteiku came to be, how Piotr came to be supportive of the goals he intended to achieve. So far, the X-Men slowly came to respect both him and what he set out to achieve for his species.

"Well, I can…certainly see the sincerity in your words."

"I agree with Scott, Yoshimura. Attempting to create a bridge between ghouls and humans have the impression of a herculean task. Then again, the same was once said for human-mutant relations."

"I appreciate that, Mr. Summers. As well as you, Dr. McCoy"

"That only leaves me with one question. How did Ken Kaneki fit into all this? I really want to hope that you brought him into your group without ill intentions."

"Ill intentions?!"

Said Touka in an anger-filled voice.

"All you've done since you came here is judge us just for being ghouls! How can you-?!"

"TOUKA!"

Yelled Yoshimura. The sudden outburst of anger snapped everyone into silence. So much so that it shocked him as well. He then clears his throat.

"Apologies. One of my employees has strong feelings and the opinions that go with them. I don't discourage them, but I do stress that there is a time and place for them."

"I…see."

Said Scott as he reminded himself of his previous question.

"I apologize if I sounded like I took the honesty behind your words with a grain of salt, but you have to understand. Ken Kaneki is the son of a fellow mutant whom we consider to be family."

"You mean the Wolverine?"

"Yes. He was dear to us. We consider Kaneki to be a part of us as well, whether he knows it or not. In all honesty, I feel guilty about not staying in touch the X-Men. I was in a bad place before, and it took me more than 10 years to get myself together. By then, it was too late. I discovered…Logan died during that time I stayed away from the X-Men."

Everyone felt sad for Scott for losing somebody he considered family due to personal problems.

"I want to make up for it by saving Kaneki and getting him to safety. So, I am really hoping that what I will hear from you is that you took him in because I want to believe the kind man you clearly present yourself to be."

Yoshimura could feel the weight of Scott's words. His plea for wanting to hear that Kaneki was treated with the same mercy and empathy the X-Men would gladly give him carried an air of regret.

"I wasn't always a kind man. But I learned to be one…out of desire, regret…and weariness."

The employees of Anteiku as well as Piotr and Danny, felt that Yoshimura briefly exposed himself to Scott Summers.

"What I learned, I put into Kaneki. For the most part, that was what he received when I took him in."

"The most part?"

Yoshimura sighed as he knew that what he would tell Scott would leave him in a flurry of negative emotions.

"Life as a way with chaos."

Yoshimura then told Scott about how Kaneki came to Anteiku. About the steel beam incident, about his encounter with Tsukiyama, which made the X-Men raise their hostilities at him for a while before it was defused. He also told them about the Wing Kong Exchange, with help from both Piotr and Danny, and how Hinami thought of him as the big brother of his life from when she lost her mother to Rize Kamishiro. Lastly, Yoshimura gave the X-Men the full story about the chaos that happened at the 9th ward. When he was finished, the X-Men were left in a state of absolute bewilderment of the events that got Kaneki to where he was right now. Kurt was the first to audibly react.

"Mein Gott in Himmel…"

"Indeed. He's been through too much."

Said Hank with Scott asking Piotr,

"And you didn't report to Charles about all this?"

"I…was too busy maintaining my cover. To make sure that his efforts would go…unimpeded."

Scott got up from his stool and confronted Piotr.

"Piotr! Kaneki has suffered more than anyone should."

"I had no idea that Weapon X kept him here. Please, believe me, dear comrade. If I had known, I would've risked everything for him to be safe from those bastards that made him into weapon."

Scott sighed as he really could not fault for not knowing about that Weapon X had a base of operations in Tokyo.

"Fair enough. Guess that makes us being here all the more important."

"I take it that means that you will join us?"

Scott faced Yoshimura.

"Yeah. We're in."

Everyone felt elated that Kaneki would soon be rescued from Aogiri Tree. And yet, Scott gave one caveat for the rescue mission.

"You know that we can only cooperate without the GCB knowing about it."

"I understand."

Touka then asked Uta,

"So, are you really coming with us?"

"Of course. Can't leave a valued customer to such a gruesome fate."

Yoshimura then gave the order.

"Let's go."

xxxxxx

During the ride to the shopping mall where Aogiri Tree occupied, Shinohara was looking over the case file of Yamori, who was actually named Yakumo Oomori. Amon sees him looking over said file.

"Something wrong, Shinohara?"

"It's nothing. I do have a question. When you and Madou fought him, did you get any read on him?"

Amon took a moment to remember how the fight went.

"Definitely unique. He had a certain vibe about him, but that hard to put into words."

"That helps. The only photo we have of him was before he started going by Jason. After his initial arrest, he was taken to the Cochlea ghoul detention center. The Investigator who put him there had a certain…affinity for psychological torture."

Amon imagine what kind of atrocities must have been committed on that dark day.

"He was tortured in ways that would make even the CIA turn away in horror. The process of surviving was so brutal, his mind repressed the whole thing. When it did, a whole new personality was born. One that was more than willing to go to more depraved depths than his captor was afraid to dive into himself. After that, he busted out. But not before getting some payback. Since then, he was always willing to do then same thing to whoever he captures. His victims are subjected to the same torture he suffered through."

Shinohara hands Amon the file on Yamori. He looks at it as he listened.

"He started calling himself Jason. After that movie serial killer. Crazy shit, am I right?"

xxxxxx

Kaneki screamed at the top of his lungs when Yamori twisted his left leg.

"Have you been counting backward from 1000 by seven?"

In between the screams, Kaneki yelled,

"UP YOURS!"

Yamori, disappointed by his replay, twisted his right leg next. Kaneki screamed during that tie as well. Yamori swiped the sweat form his brows as torturing Kaneki proved itself to be a difficult endeavor.

" _Every time I cut him; he heals like it never happened. Maybe I need to try something different. Something he could heal back from, but hates doing so…_ "

He then sorts out his tools once more.

"I'll be back soon. Now don't forget…"

Yamori gabbed the top of Kaneki's head to make him face him.

"The reason why it didn't hurt as much at the start was because you…"

Yamori took out his handkerchief to swipe off the sweat dripping down Kaneki's face.

"were honest to me. But then you decided to piss me off, and that's why…"

Yamori then put pressure on Kaneki's left leg to emphasize the point. Which gave additional pain to Kaneki.

"This had to happen."

He then let go of his leg and proceeded to exit the room.

"I'll be back soon."

As he began to exit, another person in a crimson cloak entered the room, pushing a water-filled janitor bucket with a mop inside said bucket. Yamori gave him the order.

"Clean the place up."

"Yes sir."

Kaneki knew who the voice belonged to. As he got closer, Kaneki asked for his name.

"Banjou?"

"How are you holding up?"

Kaneki felt his legs re-inserting themselves back to normal.

"Believe it or not, I've been through worst."

"Yeah, I can imagine. I'm sorry that you have to go something like this again. The moment I see an out, we act on it. So don't you quit on me."

"And give that hockey-masked prick the satisfaction of breaking me? Like hell."

Both laughed a little.

"Why me though? I know I got business with him, but what the hell did I do to him?"

"He thinks you had something to do with Rize's death."

Banjou continued to mop as spoke.

"The next shift is Shu and Haru. Friends of mine. If they can find the opportunity, they'll act on it."

Banjou finished up cleaning.

"Is he making you see everything?"

"…Yeah he is. My punishment for trying to get you out of here. Stay strong."

Banjou exited the room as Kaneki sat silently.

xxxxxx

Up on the roof overseeing the highways, the leadership of Aogiri Tree see the large convoy of combat buses heading to where they stationed their ghoul army. With them was also Nico.

"They got here sooner than we thought."

Said Eto with Tatara giving the order to the Bin Brothers.

"You two are with the main building."

The two replied,

"Right."

"Kirishima, take the annex."

"Got it."

"Noro, you got it from here. Eto, we should move."

Ayato asked Nico,

"Where's Yamori?"

"Still with that mutant, last time I checked."

"Seriously? The interrogation should be done by now."

"Well, little Kuzuri is proving himself to be one tough nut to crack."

"Well that's just great."

Ayato then put on his mask to perform the orders he was given.

xxxxxx

Kaneki heard the doors open and shut. He knew it to be Yamori.

"I'm back. And I have something special for you."

He looked up to see Yamori holding a red and black millipede on his left hand.

"What fresh hell did you bring today?"

"Since you asked so nicely, I'll tell you. I'm going to put this little guy into your ear canal. Won't that be fun?"

Yamori laughed like a madman as he did so, making Kaneki scream in utter torment.

xxxxxx

The combat buses parked in front of the shopping mall where the ghoul armies of Aogiri Tree fortified to be their stronghold. The officers had both their rifles and riot shields all ready for battle. The ghouls stood ready for war as well as they had weapons of their own. In addition to their kagunes, they also possessed rifles of their own as well. All of the Investigators and armed police officers waited for the order to advance in enemy territory. While both sides waited to slaughter each other, the Anteiku group split into two teams. One composed of Yomo, Tsukiyama, Uta, Nishio, and Touka. Then, a signal flare rose into the sky and exploded. This prompted the Aogiri ghouls to open fire first at the GCB forces. The GCB returned fire, hoping to take down a few of the enemy forces. Marude sees all this while inside one of the command trucks.

"What the hell? They're picking us off."

"Enemy forces are employing both kagunes and scopes, sir. We also spotted them using Stark Industries rifles."

"Replicas, more likely. So, these damn flesh eaters fancy themselves solders?"

He got up from his seat and kicked the door open.

"COME ON, MEN! DON'T LET THESE BASTARDS SHOW US UP!"

Marude took a rifle from one of the soldiers and began firing himself. He proved himself to be a capable marksman as he took down a few of the enemy forces.

"You see that?! That's how you take down a sniper's nest, you sack-less clods!"

As the soldiers looked at Marude as how an officer of the GCB should act, the sounds of a revving motorcycle could be heard.

"What the hell is going on?"

"Your bike was brought over from headquarters, sir."

Marude could see who it was on his motorcycle. It was Suzuya, Shinohara's subordinate.

"Hey stitches! What the hell are you doing with my bike?"

"Don't worry, okay?!"

Suzuya inadvertently turned the pedal for acceleration as he sped forward to the shopping mall. He laughed like an excited child as he did so. While Marude looked on in horror as his beloved motorcycle was hijacked by an off the wall teenager.

"Wait! What do you think you're doing?! Get back here, you psychotic ape! No no no no no no no no no no! Don't turn my baby into swiss cheese. WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME!?"

The ghouls of Aogiri Tree looked at the speeding motorcycle in befuddlement as Suzuya used the stair of the shopping mall to leap high into the air. As he was in mid-air, he leapt off the bike as he yelled,

"EIENY, MEENY, MINEY…"

The bike exploded as it impacted into the barrier that the Aogiri ghouls created to keep the GCB out while Suzuya shot the first ghoul he saw with the rifle he took with him.

"MOE!"

As he entered into the sniper's nest, he shot his weapon while also slicing dead the ones he missed with his gun with a knife he takes with him at all times. The GCB could only look from afar as the enemy gunfire slowly faded away, thanks to Suzuya's "unconventional" efforts. He smiled as the made an O with his arms as a signal to advance to his comrades. Marude laughed and cried over the loss of his motorcycle, but recomposed himself as Suzuya's actions, chaotic as they were, gave the GCB forces the opportunity to advance unto Aogiri territory.

"GET IN THERE AND RAISE SOME HELL!"

The soldiers yelled as they charged into enemy territory while taking down any ghouls that they see in their path. Meanwhile, the Anteiku group made their way inside of the mall, searching for Kaneki. They encountered a group of Aogiri ghouls along their way.

"Hold it. Which team are you with?"

The Anteiku group made short work of their obstacle. Touka answered the dead group's question.

"Team Anteiku."

A GCB platoon led by Shinohara encountered a group of Aogiri ghouls.

"Incoming, three o'clock. I count 10 targets."

The soldiers fired their rifles at the enemy forces while advancing. One of the soldiers potted enemy reinforcements.

"We got more incoming!"

"Hirako. You're up."

The Investigator by that name stepped forward and activated his kagune. It was a bladed weapon that was black and red. It was short and wide at first, but when he slain the additional ghouls that came, it became tall and slim. As soon as he was done, he reported his status.

"Southern entrance, blocked and secured."

Shinohara then gave the order as more soldiers came inside of the area.

"I want the entire perimeter secured."

He then reported his status to Marude.

"This is Shinohara. We've taken control of the second-floor entrance. Orders?"

"Divide into three units. Move in from below, then secure the parking lot and the interior. Rendezvous topside."

"Roger that. By the way, haven't seen Suzuya."

"I can't let that patchwork psycho die until he pays for my bike. Send someone to snag him."

Shinohara sighed a little as he knew that Juuzo would do something to get on Marude's bad side.

"Copy that."

xxxxxx

Kaneki sat silently once again after another round with Yamori. This time, he doused Kaneki's face with a bucket full of hydrochloric acid. It burned him something fierce. His face looked like a smoldering raisin as he felt it melting his face and head. His healing factor soon kicked in, re-growing both the melted skin and his hair. Before he healed himself, Yamori saw something metal on his face when it was melting.

"What'd you got there, little mutant?"

Yamori wanted to take a closer look, but Kaneki's skin prevented him from doing so. He shrugged it off as a minor inconvenience.

"So, how far does it go? Answer honestly."

"…my entire body."

"No shit. You serious?"

"Dead."

Yamori laughed a little.

"Clearly the face is a no go. Thankfully, I know one part of the body where I can easily find out."

Yamori pointed to Kaneki's right foot.

"Did you know that a sizable percentage of the central nervous system can be located on the human foot? Specifically…"

He placed the bucket of hydrochloric acid near him before raising Kaneki's leg.

"The toes. Part of the reason why it hurts so much when you stub your toe is because…"

He then dipped the metal cup he used before to melt Kaneki's face and hovered it over Kaneki's right foot.

"There are so many nerves in each little piggy. Hard to imagine, am I right?"

Kaneki struggle to get his right foot out of the way, but Yamori possessed a vice-like grip on his leg. He laughed manically as he spilled the acid all over Kaneki's right foot. Kaneki screamed louder than ever before over the acid melting his foot off. The melted skin revealed exactly what Yamori saw before. The bones of the foot were covered in a strange metal that he had never seen before. This fascinated Yamori. When the healing factor restored the foot, Yamori let go.

"You…"

He grabbed Kaneki by the hair.

"Are a fascinating subject. I hope this war goes on forever. I wanna see what make you tick."

Yamori then let go of Kaneki's hair as Shu and Haru entered as per his instructions. Yamori left the room as the two began clean-up. Shu swiped what was left of the acid with water and soap on Kaneki's right foot.

"This is barbaric."

Both Shu and Haru were cleaning up Kaneki before he spoke to them.

"Thanks."

"Just so you know, Banjou still hasn't given up on you. He's still looking for a way to get you out of here."

"How's he taking everything?"

Haru then said,

"Not well. That time with the millipede kind of…affected him. Yamori ordered us to bind him every time he starts interrogating you."

They both got up as they finished. Shu then said to him,

"Try to hang on, Kaneki."

Yamori soon entered as soon as they were finished. When Shu and Haru did so, Yamori grinned in excitement for some new horror he had in store. Kaneki looked at him with a serious look and said to him,

"So, what do ya got for me now?"

Yamori did not say anything at first he took out a blindfold and placed it over Kaneki's eyes.

xxxxxx

The assault on the Aogiri stronghold continued. Touka took down a number of Aogiri ghouls while looking for Kaneki.

" _Damn it, Kaneki. Where are you?_ "

Amon took down a couple of ghouls as he took part to secure the third floor of the mall. By then, he spotted something large and metallic.

"Whoa. Is that…?"

Some lights turned on while loud, mechanical noises were heard. Meanwhile, some of the Aogiri leadership joined the fight as they killed large numbers of the GCB forces. Noro was spotted at a stairwell by some GCB soldiers as they began shooting at him.

"Empty your clips!"

The shots seemed ineffective as Noro showed no signs of pain. He then activated his kagune. The shape was a fleshy tunnel with large teeth formed at the mouth entrance. Its primary colors were crimson and violet. He used it to grab one of the soldiers shooting at him. Then, as his kagune slowly devoured the captured soldier, he turned the blood of his victim into small red blades that killed the rest of the soldiers shooting at him in a rain of swords. At another part of the stronghold, Ayato encountered some GCB soldiers of his own and they started shooting at him. It proved itself useless as he used his kagune to create a spinning barrier to protect himself against the bullets. He then leapt up into the air, landed right behind them, and killed them with crimson crystals from his kagune.

"Not bad. They've actually made some headway."

Then he heard loud, mechanical noises from a certain direction. Followed by a large boom.

"Sounds like the doves found our special weapon."

Amon soon came face to face with a large mech, piloted by an Aogiri ghouls.

" **Not so tough now, dove! I'd like to see your weapon go up against this.** "

Amon almost recognized what kind of mech it was.

"Is that a…Sentinel?"

" **You've guessed right!** "

The sentinel mech slammed his hand to the ground where Amon stood, but he dodged it at the last second.

" **Took a lot of work to get it to be like this, but crushing both you and your comrades is gonna make it worthwhile.** "

Amon now became angry.

"LIKE HELL YOU WILL!"

Amon dodged the arm swings of the mech and struck its left leg. However, it proved itself ineffective.

"What?"

Amon was subsequently kicked to a nearby wall. Although he survived, he sustained considerable damage.

" **Time to clip your wings, dove.** "

Touka saw all this from afar. Her hatred for the doves never went away, but she also had some sense of honor to know that this was an unfair fight.

" _He deserves death, but…_ "

The ghoul pilot turned the right hand of the mech into a fist and aimed it at Amon while he was still down.

" _But not like this._ "

Amon felt death inching closer to him. He radioed any of his fellow Investigators near him to tell them of a startling new development.

"All forces, can anyone hear me? Enemy forces are in possession of a mecha. It made out of a decommissioned Sentinel. I repeat, enemy forces are in possession of a decommissioned Sentinel."

Shinohara heard the transmission and immediately responded.

"Amon, what's your position?"

No response.

"I repeat, what's your position?!"

Amon readied for the end. His last thoughts were on Madou.

" _I know you said that when the enemy is in front of you, don't be afraid to give them hell, but…_ "

The Sentinel fist now sped its way to crushing him to a blood splatter on the wall.

" _You didn't say anything that covered ghouls piloting robots. Well, if where I'm heading is where you are, you'd probably laugh at how I died._ "

Just as he faced the giant fist flying at him, he then saw a familiar costume appear before his eyes. It was primarily red and yellow. He looks up to see the back of a metallic head.

"Mr. Rasputin?"

"Mr. Amon. It is good to see you alive. However, for tonight…"

Piotr pushed away the Sentinel fist that almost killed Amon away.

"You may call me Colossus."

Amon was amazed to see Piotr in his previous uniform. While Touka moved on, seeing Piotr handling the situation without her interference.

" **What the hell? A mutant?!** "

"I am not only one."

Thunder from the sky could be heard over the ghoul pilot with a large gust of wind following soon after. Then, a red laser hit the Sentinel on its left. The ghoul pilot then sees three mutants at the direction the laser came from.

" **You think that's enough to take me on?!** "

A lightning bolt then hit the Sentinel on its right as Storm descended from the sky with her eyes glowing bright white. Scott then said to the ghoul pilot,

"We'll accept your surrender now. But only now."

The ghoul pilot growled at the fact that now mutants were taking part in the fight. Shinohara finally arrived at where Amon was when he asked Marude to trace the transmission he made. Soon, he saw four mutants at the scene, alongside Piotr in a familiar-looking uniform and Amon struggling a little to get up. As he ran to them, Piotr helped Amon up just in time for him to join.

"Rasputin, are they…"

"Da."

The Sentinel fired one of its palm repulsors at the X-Men, only to miss. Scott fired an optic blast at its chest in retaliation. Both Beast and Nightcrawler struck it from the bottoms, dealing only minor damage to its legs. Shinohara then asked,

"Is that a Sentinel?"

"Yes sir."

Said Amon with Piotr clarifying,

"A type two, to be accurate. I remember fighting against things while I was in X-Men."

"We can trust you to deal with this, right?"

"Of course."

"All right then. Amon."

"Yes sir."

Both Amon and Shinohara left to resume eradicating Aogiri Tree while the X-men dealt with the Sentinel mecha. The ghoul pilot sees a couple of doves exiting the area and attempted to stop them.

" **You're not going anywhere!** "

As he tried to stop them, Beast intercepted the fist in time to block it with his own bare hands.

"Go!"

As the two Investigators ran back to their battlefield, Shinohara radioed in to Marude.

"This is Shinohara. I got Amon."

"The hell happened to him?"

"It seems the enemy got their hands on a decommissioned type two Sentinel."

"You're kidding me!"

"Even worse, they reworked it so that a ghoul can pilot it like a mecha."

"Crap! Our intel didn't cover that."

"It's being taken care of as we speak. Our reinforcements have just arrived."

"You mean?"

"The X-Men are here."

Both Marude and the comm officer inside were surprised to hear that just now.

"That's…great to hear. Is the Iron Fist there with them?"

"Good question. Didn't think to ask that, unfortunately."

Marude signed as he did not want to seem ungrateful.

"Well, the fact that they're here means that whatever surprises the enemy might have, we got some of our own. Continue the assault."

"Roger that."

xxxxxx

Far from the war, Yoshimura waited alongside Hinami and Irimi.

"I've lost their footsteps. No wait…got them. They've all made it inside."

Hinami expressed her admiration of Irimi's skills.

"You can hear them? That's amazing."

"With a little practice, you can do it do."

"Kaya, update on the X-Men?"

"On it."

Kaya took a moment to locate Piotr, along with the rest.

"Got them. They're in the middle of battle. They're fighting against something…big and metal. They sound like they're doing all right. But at the moment, they're far away from our people."

"And Danny?"

"One moment…He's hasn't been seen yet, but he's searching for Kaneki. He's far as well."

"The GCB."

"…They've split up their forces. At the moment, they have the advantage."

Yoshimura then activated his red eyes.

"Then there's little choice. I'll have to buy team some extra time. Look after Hinami while I'm gone."

"Yes sir."

xxxxxx

As Shinohara and Amon were making their way back to the rest of the GCB forces, they would soon be blocked by blue, flesh-like ribbons.

"Mr. Shinohara!"

Amon used his quinque to thwart the attack, sustaining minor injuries in the process.

"Who are they?"

"Don't know, but that one shrugged off a number three combo."

"Not bad for a human."

Both Investigators knew who the two ghouls were.

"The Bin Brothers."

"S-Rated."

The two ghouls charged at Amon.

"Sir, get out of here."

"Amon…"

"Sir, the men need you. I'll join you soon after!"

Amon rushed toward the twin ghouls, quinque swinging. The skirmish gave Shinohara the opportunity to get out. One of the brothers see him escaping, but Amon fighting him prevented from doing anything about it. The brothers then re-grouped and took on another formation to defeating the dove. Amon deflected both of their strikes as he stood his ground. The question of defeating them came to his mind.

" _Can I take down two S-Rated ghouls? Do I have what it takes. I know Mr. Madou did…_ "

 _flashback_

Amon and Madou were enjoying an oceanic scenery together in-between patrol. Madou then asked his partner a question.

"Here's a question for you. How can a regular human overcome his limitations against a powerful ghoul in an all-or-nothing brawl?"

"I suppose building up muscle mass and stamina could do the trick."

"True. However, you can't depend on brute strength in a fight against a ghoul. You'd never be able to overpower them. Just give the question a little more thought. If one's training isn't enough to fall back on, what can you do to close the gap?"

After a moment of thinking, Amon fell short.

"I'm sorry. I don't have the answer."

"You must be clever. Knowledge is your first, and foremost, weapon. Even without weapons like what the Avengers possess, what you've learned in the battlefield is your greatest weapon. Sometimes, you must be willing to fight dirty to get ahead of your opponent. Against ghouls, don't hesitate to pull off a trick that will turn the tide of battle in your favor."

Amon took a moment to absorb the lesson his partner gave him.

"In my collection of quinque, there's one I like to call Kura. I think it's a perfect match for you. When the time is right, of course."

 _end_

The brothers then sped toward Amon as they whipped out their kagunes against Amon in such a speed so fast that Amon could barely think in-between strikes. The brothers could see Amon weakened to the point of defeat, and charged for a killing blow.

"Number one combo."

"Got it."

As the brothers circled around their target, Amon remained a level head as he looked at his enemies, looking for any opportunity to present itself. The brothers then used their kagunes to hit Amon between cycles. Amon held his ground as long as he could, but felt that whatever defense he could come up with, the ghouls would switch tactics anytime. Amon knew that his lesson regarding underhanded tactics against ghouls seemed more relevant than ever before. He split his quinque into two, and slashed the one of the Bin Brothers closest to him. His knowledge of his quinque abilities and his determination proved themselves invaluable as he summarily made short work of the ghoul he slayed with immense fervor.

" _I won't let it end like this. I will honor your legacy, Mr. Madou._ "

The other Bin Brother screamed as he charged toward him, wanting vengeance against the human to killed his sibling. Amon killed the last Bin Brother with medium effort as he dodged the initial attack, sliced the gut of the ghoul with one blade, and with the other, sever the head from the body. He took a small break to catch his breath. Suddenly, a massive figure ascended into the air in front of him.

" _What the hell was that?_ "

xxxxxx

As Noro went to another part of the stronghold, he would soon be cornered by both Uta and Tsukiyama.

"Well, well. What do we have here?"

Tsukiyama laughed.

"I follow my nose, and who do I see but Mr. Hi-C himself."

He spoke in French a little as Noro summoned his kagune once more to eliminate anyone who stood in his way. Yomo soon joined in afterwards.

"Watch yourself. He's not to be underestimated."

Tsukiyama snapped his fingers as he summoned his kagune.

"My, what a charming mouth you have. I believe a passionate Bizet may be in short order."

Noro looked at his opponents before Yomo gave the order.

"Take him out."

All three Anteiku ghouls charged at him. Tsukiyama got the first strike as he enthusiastically counted every attack he made with his kagune in French. By the tenth one, he switched things to Uta, who buried his fists into Noro.

"That's weird. Not a lot of resistance, is there?"

Yomo then charged in for his part in the fight.

"Uta. quit pulling it!"

Yomo kicked Noro's head off of his body.

"Arrivederci."

Said Tsukiyama, not knowing that the fight was far from over. The head soon reattached itself to Noro's body by using long strands of blood. Noro was in one piece shortly after. Uta then said,

"This guy can't be a regular ghoul. If he was, that should've killed him."

"His resilience is astonishing. And I bet he tastes nothing short of divine."

Yomo was at a loss for a strategy that would effectively kill him. Then, an alarm clock rang, giving Noro some sort of signal. He then calmly walked away from the three. Uta asked,

"Should we follow him?"

"Let him go. We need to keep moving forward."

xxxxxx

Touka continued her search for Kaneki. She kept running all over the Aogiri stronghold, looking every place she could see. Eventually, she went to the one place she did not look at yet. However, her search would be interrupted by crimson crystals appearing out of nowhere. She almost got struck by them, but Nishio appeared just in time to cover her. The crystals pierced his body, creating serious injuries.

"Be a little more careful, will ya? Unlike Kaneki, I don't like playing the hero."

"Nishiki…"

He succumbed to his injuries.

"Well, look who we have here. My dumbass sister, and her equally dumbass friend…"

"Ayato…"

"The hell you doing here?"

"Settling the score."

Both siblings turned their eyes red at each other.

xxxxxx

Investigators led by Shinohara were heading upstairs to secure another part of the enemy stronghold.

"Squad A has secured the annex, third floor, and front exit. Squad B has secured main building, second floor, and west exit."

"Any sign of the Iron Fist?"

Asked Marude.

"Affirmative. He was last seen assisting Squad B securing the second floor."

"Shinohara, what's your status?"

"Securing parking lot and fifth floor. En route to rendezvous."

"Reminds you of the good ol' days, don't it?"

"Sure does…they were good men. All of them…"

As they made to the upper parking lot, both Shinohara and his squad could see the X-Men finishing up on defeating the enemy Sentinel. Claps of thunder heard from the sky mildly spooked one of the members.

"Sorry sir. Caught me by surprise."

"Not to worry, rookie. It's really just her."

Lightning bolts descended unto Storm's hands as she controlled its raw power, severely damaging the Sentinel's right arm to the point of it falling apart while still attached to the body. Shinohara and the squad he led cheered at this. The ghoul pilot, on the other hand, was on his last nerve dealing with mutants.

" **GODDAMN MUTIES!** "

The pilot charged the repulsor on the right hand and shot it at Cyclops. Cyclops turned the knob of his visor to match the power levels of the repulsor aimed at him. And so, the two beams clashed with each other, playing an ionized version of gladiator hands. Cyclops stood confident that his hopes of victory.

"How long can you keep this up?!"

" **Shut the hell up!** "

"Beast!"

"On it!"

Beast used the opportunity to scale the Sentinel and locate where the pilot could be.

"Now, where are you, Mr. Ghoul?"

Beast sniffed the air a little to see where the cockpit could be. He eventually followed the scene to the chest of the Sentinel.

"A little obvious when you think about it."

Beast used his strength to tear apart the panel protecting the pilot from any outside harm. However, by doing so, the ghoul pilot activated his kagune to defend himself. It caught Beast by surprise. Although he got away unharmed, he was still reeling from the shock.

"That was extremely unpleasant!"

"F**K YOU, FURRY!"

The ghoul pilot's kagune was formed like a scorpion tail as it shot a plasma-like projectile from the sharp end of the tail. He relentlessly shot Beast while the X-Man dodged the shots with grace.

"I could keep this going forever, Kurt. But I don't want to!"

The ghoul pilot was confused at first…

"ZEIT…!" ( **TIME…!** )

Only to feel two swords dug into his heart and throat. He sees another blue-furred mutant suddenly appearing behind him.

"den staub zu beisen, fleischesser." ( **to bite the dust, flesh-eater.** )

The ghoul let go of the control responsible for the Sentinel's palm repulsor as he died. Cyclops' optic blast tore apart the Sentinel's right arm. With Storm dealing the final blow, the X-Men demolished Aogiri Tree's Sentinel. The doves led by Shinohara cheered over their victory. Shortly after, Amon joined them.

"Mr. Shinohara!"

"Amon."

Amon took a moment to catch his breath.

"What's the situation so far?"

"Victory is in our hands so far. We just witnessed the X-Men taking down the enemy's Sentinel. They just took it down."

His squad each commented how it looked like what they read on the manga based on their adventures. Shinohara then asked,

"So, how'd it go with the Bin Brothers?"

"Sir. I defeated them both."

Now the squad were amazed by how Amon defeated two S-Rated ghouls by himself. Even Marude was impressed by him. However, the celebration was short-lived by the appearance of a large, almost towering figure. Marude was concerned by the loud, thundering noises he heard over comms.

"What's happening?"

After a moment of ominous silence, Shinohara responded,

"Maru, it's him…The one-eyed owl."

Marude then gave a set of orders without all the attitude he would usually give.

"Listen…very…closely. Only those who are willing to die with no regrets stay behind. Because you probably will."

As Marude gave his orders, the owl then made manifest his kagune. Red lightning sparked around it as silver metal-like stone emerged from its cloak.

"If you can't hold him off then no one can. If any of the X-Men are around, get their help. You'll most definitely need if you want to get out of this alive. Don't throw your life away. It won't slow the bastard down."

Just as the Investigators readied themselves for the fight ahead, another individual entered the scene.

"Room for two more?"

They turn around to see the Iron Fist entering the fray.

"Mr. Rand?"

Asked Amon.

"Call me Iron Fist. At least when I look like this. And I brought someone else."

They soon all see Colossus as well entering the parking lot. Shinohara then reported to Marude.

"This is Shinohara. Both Iron Fist and Colossus have just joined."

"Excellent. Your chances may have improved, but it still pays to be careful. The One-Eyed Owl has taken the lives of many of our comrades more times than you can count. Don't be reckless. Trust in your teammates to get you out of this alive. Godspeed."

The One-Eyed Owl walked toward the Investigators and the Iron Fist. A small crimson mist emanated from him as he walked.

"Well well. If it isn't the young man who took my arms from me ten years ago. I see you've gathered some friends to join you on your…suicide run."

All stared at him with the intent to lay waste to him.

"You seem to be doing well for yourself since we last met. Perhaps I should've done to you what I did to your superiors last time and taken your dominant arm instead, Special Investigator Shinohara."

"Ready, Iwa?"

Asked Shinohara. Iwa nodded to yes to his question.

"Hirako, stick with us."

"Yes sir."

"Amon, lay back with Colossus and Iron Fist. Don't move until we give the order. Everyone else, go find more of the enemy forces and wipe them out."

The three other squad members did as they were told. Colossus placed his hand on Amon's shoulder.

"If it gets bad, we'll move in. Wait for good opening."

"Yes, Mr.…Colossus."

Hirako then asked both Shinohara and Iwao,

"So, you two gonna bust out your quinques or what?"

"Already wearing them."

Said Shinohara as he and Iwao pushed a button located on the back neck of their battle uniforms. Large patches of a flesh-like substance spread over their chest and torso area, and hardened into a dark suit of armor. Then they activated their quinques. Shinohara's took the form of a large butcher's knife while Iwao's was that of a shield fashioned after a scythe. Both stood ready to face the One-Eyed Owl. Finally, they charged toward the towering ghoul. The Owl shot some crimson plasma bullets at the Investigators, but the duo blocked every single shot aimed right at them with their weapons. When they got close, they gave the first hits, but the Owl took a giant leap backwards to get some distance.

"I know these are just prototypes, but these Aratas are some top-notch defense."

Iwao agreed with Shinohara.

"If we had stuck with the same gear from ten years ago, we'd already be dead."

"Agreed."

The two Investigators clashed with the Owl. Both Investigators swung their kagune with swift ferocity while the Own stuck on defensive move during their respective attacks. Both clashed with the Owl long enough for Colossus to see an opportunity.

"NOW!"

Both Hirako and Amon yelled as they charged toward the Owl while Colossus and Iron Fist stayed silent as they closed in on the Owl. Amon and Hirako hit the Owl from the back, Shinohara and Iwao from the front, Colossus executing a powerful punch to push him back, and finally, Iron Fist leaping into the air by jumping off one of Colossus' shoulders, and striking the Owl right in the face with a chi-infused punch to its face. That made the Owl make a noise infused with shock and pain. Iron Fist within close range to see if the combined efforts made any difference. The Owl kneeled after that attack. In his mind, Iron Fist remembered the conversation from the café.

 _flashback_

"Before we begin our rescue of Kaneki, there's something I must address to the non-ghoul people in the room."

Everyone listened.

"If you should encounter me during the raid in the 11th ward, you must act as if I am your enemy. As well as any of the ghouls of Anteiku."

Everyone was shocked to hear such a thing from Yoshimura. Touka was the first to voice her concerns.

"But why? We're all allies here."

"In here, yes. But outside of our circle, the world still sees ghouls as the enemy. Both humans…"

He then stared at the X-Men. And Danny.

"And mutants."

Touka wanted to speak more, but Danny interrupted her.

"I…may have to agree with Yoshimura. We will have to pretend to be enemies during our attempt to rescue Kaneki. But only under mitigating circumstances?"

"I believe I know what Mr. Rand is getting to."

Said Hank, elaborating further.

"If we are seen by Aogiri Tree underlings, we may simply silence them so that our respective enemy may not know anything. We can assume friendly allegiances right there and then. However, if we are seen by GCB forces, then there is no choice but to act as if we are at each other's throats. For the sake of appearances."

"That's true. There's a lot of hatred for ghouls even among mutants."

Said Scott, giving the final explanation of the logic behind Yoshimura's request. Touka had no choice but to agree with what had been said.

"I am glad we've covered this. Let's get going now."

 _end_

All six men stared at the Owl with Amon whispering,

"Did we get him?"

Danny replied,

"It's never that easy."

The Owl first repaired the damage dealt to him followed by more kagune creations on his body. The Investigators were surprised to see the Owl still had some fight left in him. Then, pieces of both Amon's and Hirako's quinques fell off.

"You're right, Rand. It was too easy."

With one powerful swing of his arms, The Owl blew away Amon, Hirako, and Iron Fist. And yet, Iron Fist stood his ground while Amon and Hirako eventually slammed unto the ground, far from the fight. Shinohara and Iwao charged toward the One-Eyed Owl once more with Colossus joining in.

"Iwa, Colossus!"

"Let's go!"

"Da!"

Although the Investigators put up a good fight as they clashed with their enemy, the Owl still proved itself a superior opponent as it disposed of the Investigators with greater skill and agility than either men were capable. The only one left during that skirmish was Colossus as his steel skin made the mutant a harder challenge to overcome. Colossus continued to take the Owl's strikes as he clashed with it. Iron Fist soon joined in.

"Colossus, take a step back."

"Right!"

As he did, Iron Fist soon dealt some damage of his own to the Owl. His small stature, combine with his speed, and agility, made him a harder target for the Owl to hit. When Colossus caught up with his breath, he attacked the Owl once again. The team dynamic between the two was a sight to see. Whenever the Owl could not hit Iron Fist, Colossus would take advantage of the momentarily window of confusion. And when Colossus focused on defense, Iron Fist would then act on the offensive by performing chi-infused punches to whatever part of the Owl's body. While the two powered men fought against the Owl, both Shinohara and Iwao were still recovering from when the Owl made them look and feel like rank amateurs.

"Damn it. How much do you think we can push the prototypes?"

"Only one way to find out…"

"You in, then?"

"Might as well. Those two might in big trouble soon."

Shinohara sees how the fight between the Owl and Colossus and Iron Fist currently went. The Owl soon wised up to the strategy the two went for, fought back in such a way that disrupted their dynamic enough to get an edge on them. The Owl first swung his arm to create a large gust of wind. It served as a distraction as the two powered men did what he wanted them to do. They both covered their eyes while standi their ground against the wind. This allowed the Owl to first focus on Iron Fist as he stabbed him on his left shoulder, lifted him up as he was still stabbing him, and slammed him to the ground.

"Rand!"

Yelled Colossus. However, he was too slow to react to the Owl in time. The Owl performed a series of rapid-fire attacks at Colossus, which pushed him back unto the ground, absolutely exhausted. Both Shinohara and Iwao see how two powered individuals were defeated so ruthlessly and nodded at each other. They then pushed a button on the back neck of the Arata armors. The armors them began to glow red and started to move a little by themselves. The Owl looked at the Investigators he defeated previously.

"Here goes… Arata…"

Said Iwao with Shinohara then replying,

"Eat away."

The armors then went from black to a dark shade of red as the Investigators looked at the Owl with murderous intent. Their eyes glowed a bright red as they got up. The Investigators then charged at the Own once more, but their attacks were faster than before. So much so, the Owl felt it necessary to try harder to defend himself. Amon soon got up himself, and see both Shinohara and Iwao fighting against the Owl with greater energy and fury than before.

"Amazing…"

Both Colossus and Iron Fist got up as well, and saw the fight between the Investigators and the Owl as well. Iron Fist commented on how different the two were from before.

"What is it that they're wearing?"

"Kakuja armor quinques. Their strength and combat capabilities have been greatly enhanced…"

Said Colossus as the two continued to watch. He then added,

"But such power comes at such a terrible price."

"What is it?"

Shinohara yelled out in pain, but not because the Owl hit him. The kakuja armor began to eat away at his flesh. Iwao stopped to go to his comrade's side.

"Shinohara!"

Iwao went to work ripping the armor off of him.

"It's got it claws on me…It's gonna eat me alive at this rate."

The Owl slowly walked toward the Investigators as it observed the armor that was eating Shinohara.

"What an atrocious weapon you've got there… Ghoul kills man, man kills ghoul. Sometimes, even ghoul kills mutant as man kills mutant. It never ends. We tend to attain any justification for continuing such a tragic and barbaric cycle. In the end, nothing can exonerate the murder of another creature. The act of taking another life…"

The Owl then stopped just in front of the two Investigators.

"Is pure evil."

Danny then joined in.

"It is a form of evil, I'll grant you that."

The Owl then turned his attention to Iron Fist.

"The Iron Fist. Sworn enemy of the Hand. Defender of K'un-Lun."

He was surprised to know how much the Owl knew about him.

"I have my sources. Tell me, are there greater forces of evil you've felt the need to kill?"

"I try to avoid it. However, such enemies I face… are nothing short of inhuman."

"Oh. But clearly, I am inhuman as well, in the respect that I look nothing like these men."

"I meant inhuman in the respect that they would be willing to throw away values such as mercy and empathy. In the name of power they did not deserve in the first place."

"Am I such a being to you, Iron Fist? Someone who would throw away mercy and empathy for power?"

"If you were, you wouldn't think about the big questions like the existence of good and evil. Instead, you would believe that those with power decide what is good and what is evil. You just want to know if these things existed before power itself existed."

"Hmm. A thought-worthy argument."

Iwao was at a loss as to what both the Owl and the Iron Fist spoke of.

"What the hell are those two talking about?"

Shinohara continued to writhe in pain in his armor. The Owl then looked at Shinohara.

"Tell me, Iron Fist. If it is true that every living being has a soul, then could it be that Arata has no intention of showing this man any mercy?"

"You mean…?"

"These men create their weapons out of the kagunes of the ghouls they kill. Pieces of their corpses were violated to create things that end creating more dead ghouls. Which means more weapons to kill more ghouls. Do these men deserve mercy?"

At that moment, Iron Fist was at a loss for words.

xxxxxx

In the empty streets of the 20th ward, Hide was riding on his bike like a bat out of hell. He sped his way to the 11th ward, fearing that Kaneki was there for some reason. After riding for quite a long time, he eventually saw a roadblock into the 11th ward.

" _Damn it…_ "

He went to look for another way in that the GCB did not know about.

" _Please don't be there, Kaneki…_ "

He saw from afar the battle that currently took in the 11th ward.

xxxxxx

In Kaneki's mind, he was surround by a field of white roses. His dripping blood made the ones within his sphere of personal space turn into Higanbana, or red spider lilies. Then, he hears someone approaching him. At first, he feared it was Yamori. When it was actually Wolverine. He could feel a hand covered in a latex glove.

"How you holding up, kid?"

The blindfold covering his eyes undid itself as he saw his father in his X-Men uniform, but the mask attached to the uniform was off.

"He's putting you through the ringer, hasn't he? I'm sorry to say…it's gonna get worse from here."

The sounds of metal doors opening could be heard.

"Get ready for another round."

The field of white roses soon reverted back to the interrogation room. Yamori entered with his hockey mask on. Carrying with him, a pair of pliers. The same one that Asaki Fueguchi made for him.

 **And we're going to end things here because I want to save the best for the end. And we are at the end. We're close to the last chapter of the story, and yet here we are! The last chapter of the last year of the decade. What a ride, am I right?! Part of me feels like I want to get to Route X already, but I need to focus on my career for a while before I get back to this. And I will. For now, the next and last chapter of Kuzuri will be posted sometime on January. Don't forget to leave a review if you feel like it, and share with your friends. Until then, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May the force be with you. (wink, wink…)**


	16. Ch 15

**Here we are. The final chapter. What we will see a tour de force spectacle that will leave behind scars that will shape people, for all their lives. After this chapter, this book will be now closed. Another book will come, but not today, nor in the immediate future. I thank all the readers who have stayed with me to the end. I hoped you enjoyed reading this as I have writing it. Next time we meet, we'll be going in a direction of my own creation. Without further ado, the finale of Kuzuri.**

Chapter 15 – Storm (part 3)

Yamori started to twist Kaneki's toes with the pliers he carried with them. Kaneki yelled in pain in response. Yamori enjoyed every minute of the torture done by his hands.

"Let me guess! You didn't count, DID YA?!"

He twisted more of Kaneki's toes until the flesh started to peel off. He kept going at it until he saw only metal bones. His fascination briefly came back before Kaneki's body started to heal itself.

"I've got a bucket here. I want you to fill it to the brim."

Kaneki struggled to speak at first.

"W…Wh…Why?"

Yamori stopped for one moment to listen to him.

"I…thought…mutants…tasted bad…"

"Hmm…well, it's really just for interrogation. You're right. You mutants really do taste bad. Just like that mutant who had Rize's kagune, right?"

Yamori stopped dealing pain to allow Kaneki the opportunity to talk more.

"So, how did he get Rize's kagune?"

"I…don't know. All I got are rumors."

"Hmm…tell me anyways."

"…The hospital she was in…some of…the staff… saw her… walk away."

"Why was she walking away?"

"Because…I tried to kill her."

Yamori then grabbed Kaneki's head.

"Why did you try to kill her?"

"Because…she thought I was food."

"She mistook you for human, right?"

Although it was hard, Kaneki nodded yes while Yamori held a grip of his head. Yamori then let go.

"Believe it or not, it's a common occurrence. Some ghouls look at a target and think it's an easy kill. Only to get a nasty surprise like a laser to the chest or some other power."

Yamori then slightly laughed.

"But I never thought that sort of shit would happen to her."

"I was her second time."

Yamori then grabbed Kaneki by the neck, choking him.

"Her **second** time?"

Kaneki explained what he meant while being choked.

"She met…a mutant here…in the 11th…thought he could…take advantage of her…she tried to eat…said prick…"

"Oh."

Yamori then let go of Kaneki's neck.

"My mistake. But goddamn, she tried to eat mutant flesh?"

Yamori then laughed so loud it echoed.

"What kind of stupid bitch was she?"

He stopped and asked another question.

"What happened to her after that?"

"I don't know."

Yamori readied his pliers.

"You're lying. You know what that means."

Yamori continued on until Kaneki lost consciousness.

"God…DAMN IT!"

He threw his pliers to the floor.

xxxxxx

Kaneki retreated into his mindscape once more. He hears footsteps heading toward him once again.

"Mama?"

"Sorry kid. Still me."

Kaneki looked up to see his father once more. His expression was one of disappointment.

"Don't look too sad about it."

"What do you want?"

"Is that anyway to speak to your old man?"

Kaneki stayed silent for a while. Logan then spoke about another topic.

"You know why that sadistic prick wanted you to count backwards from 1000, right?"

"Please enlighten me."

Replied Kaneki in a slightly sarcastic one.

"He wanted you to stay sane as he tortured you. Wanted you aware of every cut he gave you as you clung to every number."

"You seem to know a lot about torture."

"It's ain't the first time for me."

"IT IS FOR ME! You're just along for the ride because your enemies wanted payback. And I'm the one…who has to suffer for it."

"I never wanted you to."

"Then why'd you leave us?"

"You mean you?"

"I meant us! Me…and mom."

After a moment of tense silence, Logan asked Kaneki the question he was afraid to ask.

"What did happen to…Sayu?"

The mindscape changed from a bright white empty space to the apartment where Kaneki used to live when he and his mother moved to Tokyo. At first, the sudden change of scenery freaked him out, compounded by seeing his father there as well. He even remembered the setting of the table, down to the vase that held white roses in the center.

"Where am I…?"

"It's your mind. Mostly."

Kaneki continued to look around the apartment for a while longer.

"So, this is where you lived after I was…?"

Logan eventually found a familiar sight. As did Kaneki. They both find Sayu by herself, creating white roses and putting them into boxes. At first, Kaneki wanted to talk to her, only to be interrupted by a younger version of him returning from school.

"Hey mom. I'm home."

"Welcome home, sweetie."

Logan was surprised to see Kaneki being happy in Tokyo.

"Funny. I thought you could only be this happy back in…"

"Nagasaki. Yeah. That's where we used to live."

"Why'd you move?"

"I don't remember exactly."

The two see young Kaneki excitedly bringing out a book and showing it to Sayu.

"You seemed happy at that time. Guess leaving all those books for you proved itself to be a good idea after all."

Kaneki then looked at Logan with a surprised look on his face.

"That's right. I wanted you to love books."

"Why?"

"Honestly, I wanted you to have a better life than me."

He then looks again at the memory of the time he wanted to learn more complex words, and how his mother helped him.

"I remember this. Me and mom would drill over the pronunciations of any book I bring her. Until I could do it on my own."

The scene then changed to Sayu leaving Kaneki in the apartment all by himself.

"She left you all by your own?"

"She had work. She had a part-time job in an office building. But I guess it didn't pay much, so she had to work two jobs just to support the two of us. So much so, that she often came back tired."

Young Kaneki then went from the front door to a room full of books.

"What is this room?"

"Mom called it my reading room. It's where I would come to read my books. I actually loved it."

Both saw how much young Kaneki enjoyed the books that were left to him.

"This room was where I fell in love with reading."

"But weren't you lonely all by yourself."

"Not completely."

The doorbell suddenly rang. Young Kaneki went to the front door to answer.

"Who is it?"

"It's Hide."

Young Kaneki opened the door for his friend. Young Hide had with him a DVD set he wanted to share with young Kaneki.

"That's your friend?"

"Hide…"

Kaneki wanted to smile at this, but felt he did not deserve the right to.

"Sometimes he would come to my place and we'd watch anything he would bring me. He'd even bring me manga we could share. Come to think of it, it's how I would know Dragon ball."

"Is that right? Sounds like you didn't have much of a desolate childhood after all."

"I have her to thank. Mom was an incredible person. She worked hard to make sure that I would never go hungry. She got along with everyone, and she never lost her temper. I even remember what she told me."

Kaneki envisioned himself as his younger self when he looked back one of the lessons she told him.

"Ken, it's okay to feel sadness from loss. As long as you remember to stay kind, you'll always find joy."

He then returned to his current self, alongside his father. Logan had a smile on his face.

"Good to know that Sayu never changed."

"It's far better to feel pain yourself, than to inflict it on others. As long as you stay kind, you'll always joy again. That's what she always told me."

Logan sighed over the quote.

"Yeah, she was wonderful, like you said. But what she said to you is part of the reason why you're here. With him."

xxxxxx

Kaneki screamed in pain over Yamori inflicting pain on him once more.

"Good. You're awake."

Kaneki eventually stopped screaming.

"So, are you going to tell me more about what happened to Rize?"

Kaneki struggled to speak at first.

"Let me ask you a question first. Where do you think a ghoul gets their powers from?"

"…I don't know…"

"Then allow me to enlighten you. We're not mutants, first and foremost. Our powers don't come from genetics. So, having the organs from someone like Rize doesn't work like that."

"But…if that's true…THEN WHAT THE HELL DID HE TRY TO DO TO ME?"

"Who?"

Kaneki breathed heavily between sentences.

"Akihiro…Kanou."

"Oh, so you're the science project?"

"…What?"

"Yeah. I knew about his…experiments…but the thing is…I didn't know that he was moving on to…"

Yamori ripped off the flesh of Kaneki's right index finger. Which made Kaneki scream in pain.

"Mutants. Maybe he was curious as to what happens when you put the bits and pieces of a ghoul into a mutant."

Yamori cracked the joint of his right index finger.

"So, Kanou is with Weapon X, am I right?"

Kaneki nodded yes.

"Well, that answers a few questions. And I like them."

Yamori laughed menacingly for a while.

"The son of the Wolverine, a one-eyed mutant with the stench of the binge eater. Now, you're all mine."

Yamori then showed Kaneki something which made him fidget in his seat, despite being chained to it.

"Recognize this little guy? He fell out of you when you were knocked out. Just…"

Yamori inched the millipede closer to Kaneki.

"Crawled right out of your head."

Yamori laughed a little at how Kaneki shivered in fear.

"The Chinese red millipede. Nasty little shit, isn't he? Believe it or not, he likes being inside your head. You don't want to say no to this little guy, now do you?"

Kaneki pleaded with Yamori not to insert the millipede inside of his head, but said pleas fell on deaf, psychotic ears. As soon as Yamori inserted the millipede inside of Kaneki's head, Kaneki screamed in pain at first, only to laugh hysterically while still chained to his seat.

"OH BOY! LOOK AT HIM GO! THIS IS HOW I IMAGINED IT!"

Kaneki continued to laugh like a madman.

"YOU WANT ME TO KILL YOU, RIGHT?! YOU WANT ME TO RIP YOUR HEART OUT RIGHT HERE AND NOW?!"

Kaneki soon stopped laughing and started crying as Yamori hit the nail right on the head.

"Even if I wanted it, I can't die."

Yamori's enthusiasm stopped when Kaneki said that sentence.

"Why is that?! WHY?!"

"Because…no matter how… badly I get hurt, no…matter how serious any injury is, I…CAN'T DIE! I WANT TO DIE! I WANT TO DIE SO BADLY! BUT I CAN'T BECAUSE MY DAD GAVE ME THIS!"

Kaneki cried loudly for a moment before passing out once more.

xxxxxx

Kaneki was alone in the white room once more before Logan arrived once more.

"I heard your mom saying that once. It's not a good philosophy to live by."

"You don't get to judge!"

Kaneki's outburst mildly surprised Logan.

"Mom had to raise me all by herself…when you left us!"

Kaneki cried a little.

"Who are you to say that the way she raised me was bad?"

Logan grabbed Kaneki by the head and forced his son to look him in the eye.

"I'm your father, and the man who married her. Don't forget, I was there for you for a time."

Logan then let go.

"And the reason why it was bad is because you chose to blindly obey her word of 'wisdom.' Did you even give any thought behind those words?"

The scene then changed to the same apartment, but something was happening.

"Wait…"

Said Kaneki, with Logan asking,

"Who's she?"

"A woman who worked in the same office building as her. She would often come to her for extra cash."

Both see Sayu give some money to the woman in question.

"Why?"

"Mom felt bad for her. She always said that her job wasn't paying enough. That she was struggling with money."

Logan saw the woman having a smirk on her face as young Kaneki looked on.

"Hmm…This is what I was afraid of."

"What?"

"Your mom had a good heart, but I feared that she would be spotted by vultures. Like her…"

Kaneki then placed a blanket on her.

"You're tired. Get some rest."

His mom then looked at him and said,

"I'll be fine, Ken."

"But she wasn't, wasn't she?"

Kaneki then remembered another event in his life that he possibly repressed, or lost due to Weapon X suppressing his memories. He sees his mother beating him up. Young Kaneki pleaded with her to stop. Both of them were utterly surprised to see Sayu committing such an act.

"She…abused you?"

"No…no…this can't be true…IT CAN'T!"

Logan held Kaneki by his arms.

"Kaneki, listen to me. Listen…"

Kaneki broke it off.

"IT DIDN'T HAPPEN!"

"Kaneki!"

Logan then punched him in the face, which also woke him up.

xxxxxx

Just as Kaneki woke up, Yamori grabbed him by the head and displayed both Shu and Haru tied up and gagged shut.

"All the drawbacks and detriment in this world stem from a lack of individual ability. You may have heard that from a sack of crap, but that doesn't make those words any less true. It's a lesson to learn. You'll see."

Kaneki feared what Yamori had in store for him this time.

"Now I've been thinking. I've been going about this the wrong way. Mostly because of your mutant abilities. Don't get me wrong. I've thoroughly enjoyed subjecting your body to all kinds of pain. Forces me to be creative. But what I really want to rip apart is your mind. So, let's play a little game."

Kaneki breathed heavily in response.

"Oh little lovebirds! LET'S PLAY!"

Both Shu and Haru struggled while they were chained.

"You gonna pick who lives and who dies! HIM OR HER?!"

The panic Shu and Haru felt intensified.

"You don't owe them anything! Just choose! Say, you weren't holding out on them getting you out or anything, right? These weaklings, your lifeline out of here?!"

Yamori cracked his right index finger again.

"Truth be told, I already knew that these wimps were plotting to get you out of here. That's why…"

Yamori stepped away from Kaneki for a moment to bring out another gagged individual.

"I BROUGHT HIM!"

Kaneki, Shu, and Haru all reacted to Banjou chained and gagged as well. Yamori then laughed.

"YOU SEE, NO ONE'S COMING TO GET YOU! And if there are others, the rest of my buds will just wipe them off the face of the earth. We're currently at war, and we aim to win!"

Yamori then walked toward Kaneki and stepped behind him.

"Now, choose…"

Kaneki shuddered at the idea of playing Sophie's choice.

"Don't keep me waiting, or I'll kill the both of them."

Kaneki's fear still paralyzed him.

"Let me rephrase that…"

As Yamori cracked another one of his fingers,

"Which one of them do you want me to save?"

Kaneki looked at the two of them. Haru pleaded for her life, but the gag on her mouth made her word unintelligible. Shu, on the other hand, simply nodded at Kaneki.

"No…why…why do I have to choose?"

Kaneki whimpered as Yamori shook his head a little.

"Hurry. Time's a wasting."

"No! If I have to choose, then I might as well be killing them myself."

Yamori grew impatient with Kaneki.

"Just pick one! Come on! CHOOOOSE! It's easy! Him or her?! JUST PICK OOOOOONE!"

"Didn't you hear me?! There's no way I'm doing that! YOU'LL HAVE TO KILL ME FIRST!"

Yamori became disappointed with Kaneki.

"Fine. Have it your way."

Yamori then let go of Kaneki's head and walked toward Shu and Haru.

"I'll show how it's done."

Yamori then grabbed Haru by the neck. She screamed while her mouth was still gagged.

"SEE, IT'S EASY! YOU LIKE MY PICK!? WELL?!"

Shu struggled to speak up, but was unable to.

"Speak up! You can still save her if you want to!"

Kaneki shut his eyes and owed his head from the horror.

"SPEAK UP, KUZURI! SHE'S DYING OVER HERE!"

Shu then attempted to plea with Kaneki, however the act proved itself futile.

"LOOK AT IT! LOOK AT IT!"

Kaneki looked at the horror show once again.

"THE GUY OR THE GIRL?! PICK ONE!"

Kaneki's mind was in an utter state of frenzy over what he saw.

"WHICH IS IT?! WHICH IS IT?!"

Kaneki then said something hat would stop everything that currently went on.

"RIZE'S DEAD!"

Yamori instantly let go of Haru when he heard Kaneki say Rize's name. He then took three giant steps toward Kaneki asked him about the context of his words.

"Say. That. Again."

"…She's dead."

"How?"

Kaneki looked at Yamori with a serious look on his face.

"She pissed off me one day…"

"Right. Then she walked out of Kanou's hospital. Then what happened?"

"I knew a mother and her daughter. Their last names were…Fueguchi."

Yamori gasped a little when Kaneki say that last name.

"Asaki's family, right?"

"Damn right they were. The doves started hunting them down…when you killed the father!"

Yamori then gave Kaneki a backslap to his face.

"More about Rize. Tell me!"

"She…appeared right in front of me after she had killed Ryouko…"

"And then what?"

"I fought her. She thought she had killed me…She wanted me to kill her."

Yamori grabbed Kaneki's throat.

"WHY?!"

"She…couldn't…eat humans…anymore…"

Yamori then let go.

"What?"

"When she ate a piece of me, I headbutted her in response. Must've…caused her to swallow by accident. Since then, she couldn't humans anymore."

Yamori stood utterly shocked to hear that. As well as everyone else in the room.

"She wanted me to kill her. Said she couldn't live to live as a freak."

Yamori leaned in close to Kaneki's face.

"Did you kill her?"

"…No. I spared her life. She couldn't live as a freak. That was my punishment for her."

Yamori visibly shook at his answer.

"But…then…how did she…?"

"A dove who saw everything killed her moments later. I asked him about Asaki Fueguchi. He told me about you…Jason."

Yamori then punched Kaneki like a madman.

"So, you think I killed Asaki, then?! IS THAT RIGHT?!"

Yamori continued to punch Kaneki.

"She ate a piece of you, and you made her into a freak! IS THAT RIGHT?"

Yamori stopped for a while to see the bruises left behind by the impact of his fists. Only to see them slowly fade away like they never happened. Kaneki then started to laugh.

"What's so funny?!"

Kaneki continued to laugh.

"WHAT'S SO DAMN FUNNY!"

"YOU!"

Kaneki's laughter started to recede when he explained why he started in the first place.

"At first, it was hell. Don't get me wrong. You put me through the worst. But when I started to talk more about Rize, you seem calm and patient. It's like you wanted me to say shit about Rize, right?"

Yamori stood speechless.

"Let me guess. She did something to piss you off, right? Let me tell you something, all right? Rize Kamishiro…was a self-centered, selfish bitch whose only talent was catfishing guys like you and me to do stupid shit!"

Yamori then had a small smile on his face.

"Then again, whatever she did to piss you off…you must've deserved it."

With a venomous tone, he asked,

"What did you say?"

"She must've thought you were a joke of a man to her. Well…not gonna argue on this."

Yamori felt his anger rising every second Kaneki talked to him in such a derisive manner.

"I bet the first time she saw you; she knew you didn't have what took to give her what she wants. Hell, I bet you couldn't satisfy anyone with that WEAK LANK WORM YOU CALL A DICK!"

Yamori punched Kaneki with rapid, powerful succession. In between the punches, Kaneki continues to laugh at Yamori. Shu, Haru, and Banjou all saw how weak Yamori seemed. Even though he was hurting Kaneki, the way he did so came from a place of desperation and inadequacy. Yamori just about finished beating up Kaneki. In a show of defiance,

"IS THAT ALL YOU GOT YOU GOT, YOU LIMP, FLOPPY, ONE-EYED MONSTER?!"

Yamori pushed the chair Kaneki was still chained to. The impact of the fall only irritated Kaneki. Yamori then stomped on Kaneki's chest, and pressed on it hard.

"Still want to talk shit? Well?! DO YOU?!"

Although he struggled to breathe, Kaneki still provoked Yamori by goading on his insecurities.

"YOU AIN'T BAD! YOU AIN'T NOTHING MAN! YOU'RE JUST A BITCH POSING AS A SADISTIC PSYCHO!"

With his anger reaching its breaking point, Yamori roared as he lifted the chair Kaneki was still chained to, and slammed his head to the floor, causing Kaneki's head to profusely bleed. Everyone heard and saw the giant splat, which made everyone fear for Kaneki. However, for Yamori, he did not hear the crack that was supposed to follow. He put the chair on its upright position. To his dismay, Yamori saw the wound repair itself. He yelled as the scream itself carried anger, frustration, and sorrow. Yamori knew that against this mutant, he could not win.

xxxxxx

Once again, Kaneki found himself in the same white space as before. He even found his father waiting for him.

"It's about damn time."

This time, Kaneki felt angrier with himself than with his father.

"If I didn't tell him about Rize, he would've killed one of those two."

"That, and poking fun at his flaws got you back here."

"With you."

"Yeah. Point is, don't feel guilty about it."

"But…what I said back there…"

"Was to save those two. Wallowing in guilt that you shouldn't even feel won't change anything."

Kaneki continued to feel sad. Even though he had no reason to.

"You want to know what's your problem is? You act complacent, static. You don't want to change because any exposure to chaos causes you to withdraw into your shell. Like a turtle afraid of the world."

Kaneki said nothing.

"Destiny is really nothing but a load of bull. It's just people continuing to be shitty to each other and not taking responsibility about it. Like your mom."

Now Kaneki felt anger toward him.

"Don't you dare…"

"And why the hell not? You're much made the same mistakes as her. If you only gotten a little street smart instead of just book smart, you'd never would've met that Rize bitch who made your life a living hell. The way you led your life, just flailing around, hoping someone would just love you like that!"

Logan snapped his fingers at the end of that sentence.

"It's no wonder that Rize bitch pretty much saw you as an easy target. You let yourself be that easy."

With his strength, Kaneki broke off the chains that bind him and proceeded to punch his father in the face.

"YOU DON'T GET TO SAY THAT ABOUT ME!"

He landed another punch.

"YOU DON'T GET TO SAY THAT ABOUT MOM!"

Logan then punched back.

"THEN WHY DID SHE BEAT YOU?!"

"SHE NEVER DID!"

The scene around the two of them then changed back to the moment when Sayu physically abused young Kaneki.

"No…No, I don't want to see this."

"You have to!"

"WHY?"

"What happened after that?! Show me, son!"

Sayu then just dropped to the floor. Young Kaneki reacted to this with absolute horror.

"MOM!"

He checks to see to see if Sayu was still alive. Then, with all is strength, he carries her to her bed. Young Kaneki feels the place where his mother hit her.

"I thought she would never hit me. I thought she loved me too much for that."

Kaneki then felt anger. The same anger he felt at that time.

"That lady…she changed her…made her into somebody who would hit me…That's what I felt at the time."

"What'd you do then?"

"I went to Hide the next day."

The scene changed from the apartment to the school playground.

"I remembered him telling me that his dad gave him a camcorder the other day. I asked him for his help."

"His help for what?"

"I told him about what my mom did to me, and I told him why she would do that. He was willing to help me. That's when we started to gather facts about the lady who asked my mom for money."

"What kind of facts?"

"Where she lived, for starters."

The scene changed again to the office building where she worked at.

"I remember going through mom's purse and looking for anything to see where she worked part-time. When I did, me and Hide went there to see if we got the place right."

Young Hide spoke to the receptionist.

"Excuse me."

The receptionist looked down from her desk and asked,

"Hello, boys. How can I help you?"

"We're looking for Sayu Kaneki. Is she here?"

"That depends. Who's asking?"

"This guy."

Young Hide pointed at Young Kaneki.

"And who are you?"

"I'm her son."

"Well, Mr.…"

"Ken Kaneki."

"Let me check…"

After checking the employee records on her computer,

"I'm sorry. She hasn't been here since yesterday."

"I see…"

"Would you like to talk to her supervisor?"

Both boys were curious as to why the receptionist would ask them that.

"Well Sayu is liked by a few of the employees here, and the supervisor appreciates what she does here."

Both boys accepted her offer, and soon went to the office of Sayu's supervisor. Upon arriving, he greets the two.

"Hello boys. Please take a seat."

As they did, he introduced himself.

"My name's Sho Uremeshi. I work alongside your mom. Which one of you is Ken Kaneki?"

"I am. He's Hide, my friend from school."

"I'm glad you're here, Ken. Is there…something wrong with your mom?"

"Because she's not here?"

"That, and when she comes here, she usually seems tired. Is there something…going on back home, Ken?"

After a moment of silence, Kaneki told Sho what he knew.

"There's this lady who asks my mom for extra money. She works some more just to help her."

Sho possessed a worried look on his face.

"Who is this lady, Kaneki?"

"She works here."

"She does? What does she look like?"

"Long brown hair, green eyes. That's all I remember."

Sho had an idea as to who he spoke about.

"Ayaka, right?"

"I…I think so. Ayaka Inoue?"

"You know her?"

"She's a…competent employee. Meets all her deadlines, but when she talks to her co-workers, she's a bit…abrasive."

Young Hide was confused by that last word us by Mr. Uremeshi. Young Kaneki clarified what it meant.

"Mean."

"Truth be told, I've suspected her of taking advantage of Sayu for quite some time, but I couldn't act on suspicion alone."

He then looked at the bag Young Hide carried with him.

"What do you have there, Hide?"

"Oh…it's a camcorder…"

"What were you going to do that with?"

"Well, I had an idea that if we knew where this lady lived, he could see if she's really as poor she says she is."

"Poor?!"

Both boys were surprised to hear such a reaction.

"She works here full-time, and makes almost as much as I do."

Kaneki then asked,

"But…why lie to my mom about being poor?"

Sho could see the dismay on Kaneki's face, and made an important decision.

"Let me help you two."

Both boys were confused by the offer.

"I get the feeling that something bad is going on, and I want to do something about it."

Young Kaneki asked,

"Really?"

"Of course. Sayu's too much of a good employee to be taken advantage of."

With Sho's help, both young Kaneki and Hide went to the apartment where Akaya lived. Hide commented on the state of the apartment complex.

"This is a fancy neighborhood. Wonder how much you have to spend to live here?"

As they entered inside, the three of them soon encountered the concierge.

"Excuse me. May I help you?"

Sho stepped forward.

"We're looking for Ayaka Inoue."

"Room 514, if I recall. She's also not here right now. Who are you?"

"I'm her supervisor, and I'm here to…"

As the adults talked on, Hide tugged Young Kaneki's shirt and whispered to him,

"Let's go to her place."

Young Kaneki, at first, felt apprehensive about the idea.

"Listen, we came this far. Let's finish it before something bad happens to your mom."

Young Kaneki eventually agree with Hide, and the two snuck their way into the building. The two decided to take the stairs to reach the floor for room 514.

"You two were quite determined."

"There wasn't anything I wouldn't do for my mom. We eventually found the room, and we were surprised to see what we saw."

As Young Hide and Kaneki reached the room door, they correctly guessed it to be locked.

"I got this, Kaneki."

Hide had with him inside of the bag he carried not only his camcorder, but also a set of lock-picking tools.

"How did you get those?"

"Trade secret."

Said Hide as he winked. After two minutes of lock-picking, the door unlocked.

"Kaneki, we're in."

Kaneki peeked around the corner of the hallway, serving as lookout until he heard Hide calling for him. Upon entering, they found Ayaka's apartment to be rather lavish. Everywhere the boys could see were expensive dining sets, shiny chrome appliances, a well-adorned entertainment set, furniture made for royalty, and no shortage of fine food and drink. Seeing all this made young Kaneki's anger swell up inside of him.

"That's when you knew."

"Yeah…a part of me knew she was lying to her, but I didn't have any proof. Until that day."

Young Kaneki felt weak at the knees. Hide did not notice at first as he was busy recording all the expensive stuff Ayaka possessed. However, when he finished, he sees his friend struggling with something.

"Kaneki."

He did not respond to his name being called.

"Kaneki. You okay?"

Hide sees Kaneki's eyeballs seemingly ready to pop out of his sockets as his friend breathed rather heavily. He recognized that his friend was experiencing anger for the first time.

"Kaneki, stay with me. We got all we need to make your mom believe you. And we even have her supervisor here. He can stop this. You've done enough. Let the adults take over."

Young Kaneki's breathing slowly smoothed itself over when Hide said what he said.

"Okay. Let's get out of here before that lady comes here."

Hide locked the door of the apartment before they exited. As they did, both saw Ayaka arriving via the elevator. She feared the worst as she remembered that Sayu did not report for work since yesterday. She ran for the boys as Hide yelled,

"RUN!"

The two went instantly went for the stairs as Ayaka ran after them. She soon lost sight of the two of them, and went for the elevator. As both young Kaneki and Hide ran down the stairs, Hide asked,

"She looked surprised to see us."

"Yeah, and?"

"I thought she'd recognized Mr. Uremeshi at the front desk."

"Yeah, you're right. Do you think she took the elevator?"

"Definitely, but I remember the back way out of the building."

Both boys agreed take said path to the back entrance of the building. As they made it to the first floor, Ayaka seemed to be nowhere in sight.

"I think we made it. Let's head…"

Hide saw Ayaka attempting to grab Kaneki from behind.

"Kaneki, behind you!"

He sees Ayaka, reached for his right pocket, and threw a key at Hide. As soon as Ayaka gabbed him Kaneki said to Hide,

"Get to my mom! Tell her everything!"

Ayaka covered his mouth as to discreetly smuggle him to his room. Unfortunately, she saw Hide run far from her.

"I knew Hide made it to my mom with Mr. Uremeshi's help. But she was so pissed at me. She tried to scare me into talking. Even her boyfriend joined in."

"But you wouldn't say anything."

"And that got him angrier. He even did this…"

Ayaka's boyfriend used a large kitchen knife to scare young Kaneki, but nothing seemed to faze him. Logan commented on how Ayaka did not react to this at all.

"Usually seeing a kid being presented a sharp object in a threatening manner would make her say anything."

"She did not care if I would get hurt. Which I was."

"What?"

Logan saw Ayaka's boyfriend give a flesh wound to young Kaneki's right cheek.

"By the time he was willing to get serious, my mom arrived to get me. And she as so pissed…"

The door to Ayaka's apartment started making loud, thumping sounds. At first, Ayaka was annoyed by it, only for it to turn into fear when she saw Sayu attempting to break it down.

"Shit, it's her!"

"Who is?"

"HIS F***ING MOM!"

The door then completely broke open as Sayu arrived with a ferociously angry look on her face.

"Kaneki, are you okay?"

"They cut me."

Sayu then looked at Ayaka.

"Look, it's really his f-"

Sayu grabbed Ayaka by her hair and slammed her face into a nearby wall at least six times. Alongside her was Sho, who was there to confront Ayaka for her behavior toward Sayu, only to be utterly shocked at the sight of Sayu committing such a wonton act of violence. Then, when Sayu let go of Ayaka's hair, she then kicked her while she was down. Sayu topped for a while to see the apartment Ayaka lived in. Her anger slightly rose as she felt so stupid for allowing herself to be made a fool of by such a selfish woman. Then, she faced Ayaka's boyfriend, and the knife that had some blood on.

"Put. The knife. down."

Ayaka's boyfriend dropped the knife, stepped away from Kaneki and waited to get to Ayaka's side. Sayu looked at Kaneki, ran toward him and hugged him very tightly.

"Mom, I'm sorry. I did this-"

"I know, Kaneki. I know…"

Sayu cried over feeling guilty for making her son go to this length for her sake. She proved herself to be a horrible parent to allow something like this go so far. She allowed herself to be used, and her son had to be the one to get her to see the truth.

"I had my mom back. The way I remembered her."

"I think it's more like you helped her see the truth. What happened after that?"

"Mom took both whatever money that lady had on her, plus a waffle iron."

Logan felt slightly weirded out by that detail.

"She got it for me. Mr. Uremeshi later called the cops and told them about the two of them kidnapping me, which technically they did."

"I ain't arguing."

The two laughed for a bit. Logan then asked,

"And after that?"

(play _Eyes Closed – Kamen Rider Kabuto OST_ ) [use Vimeo]

"Mom got a week off. She used the first two days for sleeping, and the rest were used for taking me to the amusement park and making all kinds of food that I loved. I even had a newfound appreciation for waffles."

The scene changed once more with Sayu looking at her son eating waffles at night.

"What happened next was something…"

Kaneki had tears flowing from his face.

"I never wanted to forget."

Sayu hugged young Kaneki ever so tightly.

"Ken, I'm sorry."

"…You don't have to be."

"I have to."

Sayu began to cry.

"I hit you, and that's something a good mama is never supposed to do! You even put yourself in danger because of me! I never should let that happen."

Sayu cried some more as she held Kaneki.

"Ken, I promise never to let something like this happen again. That's my promise, okay?"

Young Kaneki sunk in a little further into his mother's embrace.

"Okay…I love you, mom."

"I love you too, sweetheart."

Both men see the scene play out. Kaneki then said,

"From that day on…I promised myself to never let anyone prey on my mom like that again. She was exactly as I thought she was, but I let a bad person take that away from me."

"So, you took action to protect her."

"Only because…"

Kaneki continued at the memory of his mother embracing him ever so affectionately.

"I didn't want to lose this. This love…that I thought I would never feel again."

Kaneki's tears streamed from his face even more so.

"So…why did I…kill her…?"

Kaneki kneeled to the ground due to the realization that after this memory would come the day when Weapon X would take him. Logan kneeled down alongside him.

( _end music_ )

"Hey. Stay calm."

"How could…"

"Because! It may not have played out as you thought it was."

Kaneki stopped crying for a while longer due to the logic behind his father's words.

"You mean…"

"Your mother's murder? When did it happen?"

"About a couple months later…"

The scene changed once more.

"I was in my reading room. I came back from school a couple of hours ago. I heard the door open and my mom called out to me."

Young Kaneki was too preoccupied with a book to hear his mother.

"Ken, I'm home! What'd you want for…"

She suddenly screamed for a while, which caught young Kaneki's attention. At first, he was scared to open the door, but he reminded himself that his mom was in danger. The loud splat he heard from his side of the door prompted him to open it. What he saw next devastated him. He sees his mother, dead on the floor, blood bleeding from her head, eyes still and lifeless. He sees two figures, wearing all black clothes that covered even their faces. One of the figures carried the murder weapon. It was the waffle iron.

"I…didn't kill her."

"No. It was them."

Young Kaneki felt a resurgence of anger that rose so rapidly, it felt like a volcano erupting from inside him. His rage surged throughout his small body. He breathed heavily as his mind attempted to process the scene in front of him. He looks at the two people who took his mother from him, and snarled like an animal. This prompted the larger figure to bring out his revolver and shoot every bullet his gun possessed. Young Kaneki seemed to fall over dead. The other figure was revealed to be Ayaka.

"You idiot! Why the hell did you shoot?!"

The other figure was revealed to be her boyfriend.

"I thought he was going to go wild on us!"

"He's a f***ing kid! What the hell was going to-?"

The boyfriend had a horrified look on his face when he saw young Kaneki rising from the floor. Ayaka sees it as well.

"M-M-MONSTER!"

Young Kaneki gave a feral yell as his bone claws emerged from his small knuckles and he charged toward the couple who murdered his mother. Ayaka's boyfriend reached for anything to stab the kid with, but young Kaneki got to him first by stabbing him in the leg.

"MY LEG!"

As the boyfriend kneeled down in pain, young Kaneki then kills him by stabbing his head with his bone claws. Ayaka screamed in horror over the death of her boyfriend. Young Kaneki set his sights on her as he sped his way toward her, jumped as high as he could and stabber in the stomach. Ayaka stumbled to the floor, awaiting the death blow that would come from the son f the woman she wanted to get payback from. Young Kaneki screamed a little before he eventually killed her by stabbing her entire body with his bone claws. When she breathed no more, young Kaneki yelled as a sign of victory.

"You've avenged her."

Said Logan, with Kaneki responding,

"Didn't matter to me."

Young Kaneki regained his senses as he looked at his mother's lifeless body. He slowly began to cry to the reality that stood in front of him.

"I lost the only person who ever loved me. I was sure back then that when she would be gone, no one else would love me like the way she used to again."

The door soon opened once more. Young Kaneki saw a group of men being led by someone he would soon know in the future.

"All right, guys. Leave no trace. I want this place spotless."

Both men silently snarled at the sight of Victor approaching young Kaneki.

"You come with me, little guy. We'll know exactly what to do with you."

The scene then turned one last time into the white rose room. Kaneki was still crying. Logan attempted to comfort his son.

"I want to fully tell you that it honestly wasn't your fault."

"What's stopping you?"

"We don't have that much time."

"No…"

xxxxxx

Kaneki woke up back to reality once more. He sees Yamori breathing heavily for some reason. He then looks at Banjou, unconscious for some reason. Then, someone who worked for Yamori suddenly barged inside.

"BOSS!"

Yamori looks to see one of his subordinates entering his interrogation room.

"The hell is it, Naki?"

"Boss, the doves are frigging close to owning us!"

Yamori was shocked to hear such news from his right-hand man.

"What?!"

"At first, we had this, but then they got some help from out of nowhere!"

"Who are they?"

"The X-Men! THEY'RE HERE!"

Yamori grabbed Naki by the throat.

"Are you telling me the truth?!"

"Y-YE-YES!"

Yamori let go of Naki's neck.

"What's more, some ghouls from Anteiku are here as well. They're killing us off, helping the doves."

"They must be here for him."

Both Shu and Haru looked relieved that help was coming. Yamori bit the nail on his thumb for a while before giving the order to Naki.

"You see that flamethrower to your right?"

Naki looked around to find the flamethrower in question.

"I see it."

"Bring it to me. Now."

Naki grinned as he believed that his boss would be doing something grotesque with it. He liked it when he gets to witness what horror deals to his enemies.

"On it."

Both Shu and Haru struggled to get free of their bonds, only to fail. However, the sounds of said struggling would soon wake up Banjou. Although still bound, he struggled to get free as well. Nevertheless, Yamori still got what he wanted, and proceeded to give Kaneki one last act of cruelty.

"You see this thing? This is a weapons prototype that my boys stole from a Stark Industries warehouse. I know it may seem like an ordinary flamethrower, because if it was, you'd be in horrible pain but bounce back like it never happened. This one is special. Stark made this to be three times as hot as an ordinary one."

Naki laughed menacingly at that last part.

"That's right. Did you know that order to properly cremate a dead body, you'd have to…"

Yamori pulled the trigger on the gun portion of the flamethrower to demonstrate both the power and heating temperature it was capable of.

"BURN IT AROUND 3,000 DEGREES?!"

Both ghouls laughed while Shu, Haru and Banjou feared the worst. Kaneki could feel the intense heat from the short burst alone. Yamori then took two steps back and aimed the flamethrower at Kaneki.

"GET BACK FROM THIS, MUTIE!"

Yamori pulled the trigger and burned Kaneki. Kaneki started to scream in pain over being burned alive. The screams horrified the three ghouls who wanted to free him, but for Yamori and Naki, this brought them nothing but pleasure. For Kaneki, this was pain unlike anything he ever felt before. His skin slowly turned into ash every second the fire consumed his physical body. His senses in overdrive before the fire burned off the nerves that made him feel the pain of being burned alive erased by the shearing flames. Eventually, he died. Seemingly for good. His neck suddenly turning limp, his face expressing no emotion at all. Yamori pulled the trigger a couple more times to burn off any skin left on the corpse until there was only metal-coated bones left.

xxxxxx

(play _Guts – Berserk OST_ )

Kaneki found himself in his mindscape once again. However, this time proved itself different. He found himself ankle-deep in snow. He looks around to see both a lake in front of him and a forest behind him. He stepped forward toward the lake's edge. He sees himself in the reflection of the water. He was shocked to see his hair become all white.

"You've changed your hair."

He heard his father, and looked around, only to see him right behind him.

"Personally, you pull it off nicely."

"Where are we?"

"Turn around and look up. You may like what you see."

Kaneki did what his father suggested, and found himself glad that he did. Above him were the Northern Lights. A rich tapestry of atmospheric colors, caused by the disturbances in the magnetosphere when interacting with solar winds. The ionization and excitation of atmospheric constituents resulting in what Kaneki was seeing with his own eyes. He looked on with awe and a mix of emotions that compelled him to shed a tear due to witnessing a wonder of nature. Logan placed his hand on his shoulder, gently suggesting him to sit down on a nearby log and soak in the marvel.

"Beautiful, ain't it?"

"Yeah…Where are we?"

"Lake Minnewanka. I used to come here when I used to wander the Canadian wilds back in my heyday."

"Used to wander?"

Logan sighed as he would tell his son his experience with Weapon X.

"This was in-between my escape from Weapon X and when Charles sent his X-Men to find me."

Kaneki slightly gasped when he heard his father say what he went through himself.

"Don't act so surprised. You have my memories as well. All because of those sick bastards who thought of us as nothing more than things to be used and thrown away."

Logan looked up at the colored night sky.

"Honestly, I wanted to spare you the same fate life gave me. But I died."

Kaneki felt slightly shocked to hear that from his father.

"The only traces of my existence…lie in you."

Logan possessed a sorrowful look on his face, to which Kaneki saw. This prompted him to feel the same sadness as well. He then looked up at the sky as well. Both men felt a small measure of comfort, reveling in the natural spectacle.

"I…wanted to take you and your mom here. I wanted the whole family to see what it was that kept me…human, more or less."

"Whole family?"

"Yeah. Your big sister as well."

"Big…sister?"

Logan placed two fingers on Kaneki's forehead, which showed a memory from his father's point of view. It showed him defending a group of children in a forest against a gang of marauding mutants. He stood his ground, but he was weak from a debilitating disease which made his body weaker, as well as his healing factor becoming ineffective against major wounds. One of children proved herself to be just as brave as he was, as well as possessing the same mutant powers he had. Eventually, Logan was dealt a killing blow so severe, that he was practically on death's door. He then spoke his last words while gently stroking the face of the brave girl. The girl was crying at the man who valiantly protected her and her surrogate family. Crying at the man who was her actual father, kicking the bucket right before her eyes.

" _So this is what it feels like_ …"

The memory ended right there. Kaneki cried as he saw how his father died.

"Hey now. Don't be so sad."

"Why shouldn't I? The reason why you weren't there…was because somebody took you away from me…and mom…"

Kaneki cried a little more.

"She missed you. She said I was brave like you were, and that was why…she didn't say anything…Maybe she knew…maybe she didn't…but we missed you…I missed you…"

Logan hugged Kaneki tightly.

"I know."

Kaneki returned the hug. Logan did his best at holding back some tears of his own, feeling the need to appear strong for his son.

"You're…gonna have to go back…"

"No, dad…please…"

Kaneki held on to his father as long as he could.

"I don't want you to…"

"I'm sorry…Hopefully, after what you gotta do…you'll find safety again. When you do, your big sister will be there as well."

Slowly, everything turned white as Kaneki knew that the environment around him composed of a mix of memory fragments and figments of his imagination.

( _let music end on its own_ )

xxxxxx

Both Yamori and Naki laughed at the corpse of Ken Kaneki. They mostly laughed at how his entire skeletal structure was completely covered in metal. Banjou, Shu and Haru all cried at how they were helpless to save his life, as well as the sorrow that awaited Kaneki's friends who came here to save him, only to be too late to do anything. Yamori then said to Naki,

"Holy shit! He told me the metal on his claws covered his entire body. Telling is one thing, seeing it is totally something else."

"What do you want to do with it, boss?"

Yamori took a moment to think about what to do with the bones.

"I'll take them as a trophy."

"And what about these three?"

"Roast them. Let them share his fate."

The two sadistic ghouls laughed as Banjou, Shu, and Haru almost faced the same death that Kaneki suffered through. That would soon be avoid when something absolutely unexpected happened.

 _SNIKT!_

"BOSS!"

By the time Naki warned Yamori, it was too late. The right arm of the skeletal remains of Kaneki moved by self to stab the arm that Yamori held it by. Yamori yelled out in pain before letting go. All witnessed the skeletal remains of Kaneki moving by itself. Then, they see Kaneki's body regenerating by itself. It proved itself to be somewhat of a horrifying sight. First, the nerves grew out of his brain and spread all over its body. Naki asked Yamori,

"Boss, how is this possible?"

"The one-eyed freak could grow back flesh I cut off! What I should've gone for was the brain, but…!"

As soon as the nerves were done, next came the organs.

"That skull of his is covered in that metal."

"Can't your kagune go through that?"

"If that metal is anything like quinque steel, nothing short of vibranium can cut through it."

The organs finally finished re-growing themselves. Among them were the vocal cords. In that moment, Kaneki screamed in pain over his body regenerating itself. The process was not only slow, but painful as well. Kaneki gave a guttural scream, which sent shivers down everyone's spines. Yamori and Naki looked on in horror while Banjou, Shu, and Haru looked on in sorrow. The muscles reforming themselves did not take as long, and gave the added benefit getting Kaneki to stop screaming. Lastly, as soon as the muscles finished regenerating, the skin was the last to complete itself. His physical appearance stayed the same, save for a couple of differences. His hair, originally black, now became white as snow. His fingernails became black as well. Kaneki growled for a moment before facing everyone in the room. His ghoul eye activated as his sights were laser-focused on Yamori. There was one other important fact that almost everyone put to the wayside. Yamori burned the clothes Kaneki had on before he temporarily died. As such, he wore only his birthday suit. Haru looked away in embarrassment. While Naki's inadequacy began to manifest within his mind. Yamori, on the other hand, felt an emotion he had not felt since being captured by the Investigator who tortured him for amusement. Fear. Fear that temporarily elevated when Kaneki performed a very loud, primal yell. One so loud that everyone within the whole area of the shopping mall could hear it.

xxxxxx

The fight between the GCB Investigators, Colossus, Iron Fist, and the One-eyed Owl paused for a brief moment as soon as they all heard a primal yell.

"What was that?"

Asked Amon.

xxxxxx

Both Touka and Ayato covered their ears as they were in close range of the yell. On an instinctual level, Touka knew who it was.

" _Kaneki…_ "

She immediately rushed to where the yell originated, but Ayato kicked her hard enough for her to go backwards against her will.

"You and I ain't done!"

xxxxxx

The X-Men were wrapping up exterminating the Aogiri ghouls on the south area of the shopping mall when they heard the yell. They all stood still as they all had a pretty good idea on who it was.

"Don't tell me that was…?"

Asked Cyclops with Beast replying,

"If it was, it would seem that the apple doesn't fall that far from the tree."

"Let's move, X-Men."

xxxxxx

Naki stepped forward in order to fight Kaneki.

"I got this, boss!"

Naki ran toward Kaneki, but was unprepared at just how much of a difference, in terms of power and abilities, there was between him and the one-eyed mutant. Kaneki grabbed Naki by his face and slammed him to the floor so hard that Naki lost consciousness. He had to kneel in order to do so effectively. Then, as he rose up, Kaneki looked at Yamori once again. He could see the terror on Yamori's face. It made him grin in a way that mocked Yamori. This made the white-suited ghoul angry.

(play _Unravel -_ _TK from Ling Toshite Sigure_ )

"I'LL SWALLOW YOU WHOLE!"

Yamori summoned his kagune and slammed it to where Kaneki stood. Only to miss due to the mutant's speed as Kaneki instantly got behind Yamori, leapt and landed on his shoulders, and choked Yamori with his arms.

"Chew on this, bub."

 _SNIKT!_

Kaneki stabbed Yamori in the back a couple of times before leaping off. Yamori felt a deal of pain, but brushed it aside to regain his composure.

"Just as I thought, you're nothing more than a bitch."

"Watch it, or I'll…"

"Kill me? Torture me? Burn me to death? Nothing you do has any power over me."

Yamori aimed his kagune at Kaneki as it lunged itself to where he stood. Kaneki moved with swiftness as he kicked Yamori on his right shoulder. And yet, Yamori grabbed the leg that Kaneki kicked him with.

"Got you now!"

Kaneki grinned at how predictable his enemy acted. Kaneki twisted and mangled his leg on purpose to deal a powerful blow to Yamori's head. The resulting action made Yamori slam unto the floor while Kaneki's twisted leg fix itself.

"Like I said before, nothing you do has any power over me. Never did in the first place."

Yamori slowly got up as summoned the full form of his kagune. It took the form of armor-like flesh as it slowly encompassed his upper body. Banjou, Shu, and Haru feared for the worst.

"I'll kill you…I swear it! I'll kill you. KILL YOU DEAD! I'LL EAT YOU UP TIL YOU CAN'T GROW ANYTHING ANYMORE!"

Kaneki smiled as he considered Yamori's threat as an empty one.

"Tall order, bub."

Yamori's kagune now covered his whole left side as snarled while also attacking Kaneki with his kagune. The two traded blows as Yamori swung his oversized kagune at Kaneki, missing with every strike. While Kaneki retaliated with swift and precise kicks on any part of Yamori's person. Kaneki eventually got in close enough to stab Yamori with one of his claws. This hurt Yamori, but it also made him angrier with the one-eyed mutant. So much so, Yamori grabbed Kaneki, and flung him to the furthest wall of the interrogation room, in the hopes of dealing permanent damage. The injuries he incurred left him tired and beat. For one moment, he as sure of victory. That's why it's called a moment.

"Seriously? One powerful pitch from your ghoul arm to kill me?"

Yamori felt fear once again when Kaneki spoke to him.

"Bitch, you're gonna have to do better than that."

Yamori growled at the sight of Kaneki shrugging off his best attack.

"Watch me. I'll show you how it's done."

Kaneki bared his claws by taking a kung-fu stance. Yamori changed toward Kaneki, only to feel the full force of Kaneki's foot to his face as he got close. Yamori swung his kagune at Kaneki, only for his attacks to be deflected by Kaneki's metal claws. The claws even chipped away at the fleshy exterior of his kagune. Kaneki leapt backwards to maintain distance as the two jumped all over the interrogation room as they fought. Kaneki made sure that the fight never touched Banjou, Shu, or Haru, who was still covering her eyes as she did not want to see Kaneki fight while also naked. Yamori kept up with his tenacity and anger, but Kaneki's speed and precision slowly made short work of Yamori's kagune as the final claw slice tore Yamori's kagune in two. Kaneki then finished the fight by hitting Yamori with a kick so powerful, it created a crater underneath where his foe laid. Kaneki slowly walked toward the hulking ghoul and stabbed in the back once more. This made Yamori yell out in pain. As Kaneki looked down upon his enemy, he said to him,

"Count down from 1000 by seven."

Yamori growled for one moment before Kaneki stabbed him again, this time in the left leg.

"This is only gonna get worse from here, bub."

Kaneki stabbed him from behind the more Yamori did not do what Kaneki demanded of him.

"Ultimately, you're ain't getting shit from me, but I want to hear you count backwards…"

Yamori yelled out in pain when Kaneki tabbed him in his upper thigh.

"from 1000…"

This time, both sides of his chest.

"by seven."

Lastly, the chest, one inch close to his heart. Yamori shortly reverted back to his old self from before he was tortured to the point to insanity.

"993…986…"

Yamori continued to count down, but the pain became unbearable to cope with. He began to weep for his life.

"Don't even try to appeal to my humanity by crying."

Yamori's last words were this.

"Please…spare me…"

"Like I said…"

Kaneki retracted the claws on his right hand, but kept it as a balled fist as he gently laid it on the back of Yamori's head.

"You ain't getting shit from me."

 _SNIKT!_

(end music)

Yamori died as soon as Kaneki's claws pierced his brain. His eyes still secreted tears.

"Coward to the bitter end."

He then stood up in order to free Banjou, Shu, and Haru. He freed Banjou first.

"You okay?"

As Banjou soothed the rope burns on his wrist, he countered with a question of his own.

"Me? What about you?"

Kaneki stood silent for a while before giving his answer.

"Ask that another time."

"Okay…"

Kaneki then went to Shu and Haru in order to free them. He noticed that Haru's eyes were closed. As soon as he freed Shu he asked,

"What's with Haru?"

"Kaneki, you have no clothes on!"

He took a look at himself. He then calmly said,

"Oh shit, you're right."

Just then, Naki woke up from being unconscious. He felt a little groggy before his vision restored itself. By then, he sees the corpse of Yamori and feels emotionally devastated by the sight of it.

"BOOOOOOOSSSS!"

He rushed over to its side.

"Boss! Wake up! WAKE UP!"

He cried uncontrollably before looking around to see who was responsible for Yamori's death.

"YOU! DID YOU KILL HIM, YOU F***ING EXHIBITIONIST?!"

Kaneki felt a little embarrassed over being called out for his nudity.

"What of it?"

Naki growled as he charged toward Kaneki while summoning his kagune.

"I'LL KILL YOU FOR-!"

Naki would soon be interrupted as Kaneki grabbed Naki by his mouth, forcing him to shut up, and being slammed to the floor once again. This time, he retained consciousness.

"Give me your pants. I don't want my friends prancing around in their underwear while escaping from this place. But I don't care about you. So…"

Kaneki brandished his claws near Naki's face, and give him a small cut.

"Pants. Now."

"F**k off!"

Kaneki sighed over Naki's reply.

"Okay…"

Kaneki then slammed Naki's face to the floor repeatedly until he lost consciousness once more. He then flipped him over, undid his belt, unzipped his pants, took both the pants and belt off Naki, and put them on his exposed underside.

"Haru, you can open your eyes now."

Haru did so, relieved to see Kaneki covering the area that exposed his privates. Banjou then asked Kaneki,

"So, you gonna meet up with your friends from Anteiku?"

"That's the plan. What about you? Can you even stay in the 11th ward?"

Banjou looked down for a while after being asked that.

"I don't know…"

Kaneki then gave Banjou a suggestion.

"When this is over, head for the 20th ward. Go to Anteiku again, but this time, talk to Yoshimura. I'm sure he can give both you and your people sanctuary from Aogiri."

Banjou was touched to hear Kaneki give such helpful advice.

"Thanks, Kaneki."

"I gotta go now. I got to go see if my friends are really here."

xxxxxx

Touka held her ground against Ayato, but she felt the need to talk her brother out of being part of Aogiri Tree.

"Damn it, Ayato! Can't you see nothing good can come from this group?! SNAP OUT OF IT, YOU IDIOT!"

Touka shot crimson crystals from her kagune, but Ayato deflected them as he air-tunneled toward her.

"And cozy up to the humans like you? No self-respecting ghoul would ever do that!"

Ayato landed in front of her and struck her with a swift and powerful kick that pushed Touka back in mid-air.

"I bet you get off of it…"

Ayato instantly stepped behind her and delivered two punches as she was still in mid-air.

"DON'T YA, SIS?!"

Ayato then leapt up and kicked Touka into the ground. Nishiki felt the need to help her, but still could not move due to his injuries.

" _They're healing, but not fast enough._ "

"Playing nice with the humans, pretending you're not a monster…"

He kneeled down next to her.

"Your wings are useless! LET ME CLIP THEM OFF FOR YOU!"

Ayato began eating Touka's kagune in a wild and brutal manner. This caused her enormous pain as she screamed in response to what was being done to her. By the time Ayato finished, Touka seemed dead. Ayato spit out a piece of her kagune out of his mouth.

"You taste disgusting."

Touka writhed under the pain of having her kagune being eaten. Ayato grabbed her head with one hand and pressed it against the floor where she laid.

"Understand this, Touka. You need power to get anything done in this world. The weak only exist to be fodder for the strong. This is why I won. This is why Dad died."

Touka cried a little as she struggled to breathe properly under the pain. Ayato slowly got up and walked away from her older sister. Touka then said three words that irritated her little brother bad.

"Help me…dad…"

Ayato summoned his kagune once more to deal a deadly blow to Touka.

"How sad can you be…Calling for him like that…Dad isn't here, Touka…JUST DEAL WITH IT!"

In Touka's mind, she flashbacked to the worst day of her life. She remembered when her and Ayato, back when they were kids, stayed with the elderly woman next door when their father did not come back for two days. On the third day, the elderly woman arrived with two men behind her. She then grabbed a handful of human food and shoved it down Ayato's mouth. When he spit it out, the elderly woman now possessed a hateful look on her face after it was revealed that the children next door were actually ghouls. She yelled out for her dad, only to be told by the men that they were the ones who killed him. On that day, her kagune manifested. What happened afterwards was a long and hard life spent running and hunting for humans to feed upon. She lost herself in the intensity of her memories that only one thought came to her mind.

" _Please…somebody…save me…_ "

At the moment where Ayato shot crimson crystals from his kagune, Kaneki rushed to her side in the nick of time and got her out of the way. Touka saw who was it that saved her.

"Kaneki…"

From afar, Hide looked at the scene with a pair of binoculars.

"Kaneki…"

He then spoke to her while Ayato stared daggers at his back.

"Hey. You okay?"

Touka did not say anything at first.

"You had to go through all this for me. I'll take full responsibility from now on."

"You're…such a…idiot…"

Ayato shot some crystals at Kaneki. When they landed, Kaneki did not react much to it. The crystals then lopped off his body and his wounds began to heal themselves.

"What the hell?"

Nishiki was surprised to see Kaneki being nonchalant to being shot.

"Kaneki, you hurt?"

Kaneki then placed her beside Nishiki.

"I'll be fine. Watch over her, Nishiki."

Ayato then said to him,

"This ain't going to go down last time, mutie."

Kaneki face Ayato and said to him,

"Keep telling yourself that, breadstick."

Ayato growled as he shot crystals from his kagune.

"AREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD?!"

Kaneki was too fast for Ayato's crystals to hit.

"Not my fault Yamori sucked at his job!"

Ayato kept on shooting at Kaneki, but the shots were too slow to hit the mutant. By the time he realized it, Kaneki snuck up behind Ayato.

"You're Touka's only brother. So, I'm not gonna kill you."

Ayato scoffed at Kaneki's sense of mercy.

"You think I want your compassion, mutie?"

The two then traded blows while Ayato went on talking.

"You're no different from all the other pussies at Anteiku!"

The two finally got into a standstill with each other. During this, Kaneki elaborated on his previous statement.

"I never said that I would make you pay for earlier."

"Damn you…"

xxxxxx

From atop a bridge far from the battlefield, Eto and Tatara looked on from afar.

"My goodness, he's survived one of the most horrible ghouls he had within our ranks."

"Too bad Charles Xavier is there."

"Yes. It sure is."

Large swaths of birds flew from the battlefield for some unknown reason.

"I think it's about time this already ended."

"Yeah…"

"How many do you think we're gonna lose?"

"Probably 200 of our forces."

"Well hopefully, the doves will lose more. And if not, then for the sake those 200 lost, we may have to do some killing of our own."

"You may be right, Eto."

xxxxxx

Ayato started to receive one of the most brutal beatdowns of his life. Kaneki proceeded to whale on him with little chance for retaliation. Whatever windows of opportunity presented themselves, it only made things worse. Ayato then took a large step backwards, leapt up into the air, and fired crystals from his kagune at Kaneki. As much as it hurt him, Kaneki held his ground against the barrage, and when it was over, his body healed like it never happened in the first place.

"Hey breadstick, I know your secret."

"My secret? What are you talking about?"

"Oh, you know what it is. I know why you joined with Aogiri Tree."

Ayato grew further angry with Kaneki.

"Bullshit! There's no way you could know that!"

Ayato fired crystals once again, but this time, none of them landed as Kaneki sped out of the way and stood right in front of Ayato's face. Kaneki gave a knee kick to Ayato's gut.

"I'm trying to start a conversation. So, do us both a favor. Stop acting like an angsty little shit, and just listen."

"Damn you…"

Ayato gave another kick, but Kaneki somersaulted backwards in a big way to dodge it.

"You're trying to protect something, ain't you? Something that matters to you?"

Ayato expressed shock as Kaneki hit the nail in the head.

"I could tell that you had every chance to kill me, but since my mutant powers makes that almost impossible, you went for the next best thing. Breaking me."

Ayato growled at what Kaneki thought of him.

"Are you so afraid of humans and mutants that you'd side with terrorists to protect what you give a damn about? Cause that's gonna blow up in your face one of these days, and when it does, it's not gonna be pretty."

Ayato loudly growled before replying,

"YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!"

"I know enough to know that if I was in the same place you are right now, I'd make that same mistake as well."

Just then, a large kagune tunnel appeared out of nowhere. It landed between where Ayato and Kaneki stood apart from each other. Ayato knew who it belonged to.

"No!"

Noro's kagune then grabbed Ayato and went back to him.

"Noro! I had that bastard."

"No, you didn't."

"What'd you say?!"

"Yamori is dead."

Ayato was surprised to hear the news.

"What?"

"Because of him."

Noro pointed at Kaneki.

"You have no chance against that mutant. This battle is over."

His alarm clock started to ring. Then, loud roars could be heard before everything around them started to shake. Kaneki went to Nishiki to carry Touka.

"Let's get out of here."

"Kaneki…what happened to you?"

"Don't have the time or the will to tell."

xxxxxx

"Hank, what happening?!"

Asked Scott in a worried tone.

"My best guess. Aogiri Tree must've placed explosives beneath the area's most structurally vulnerable spots."

"You don't mean…?"

"This whole place is going down!"

Just then, Kurt sees the blackbird heading toward them.

"I think our ride is here."

xxxxxx

The One-eyed Owl could see that Aogiri Tree must have planned for this to happen. He waits for the opportunity to escape as parts of the building started to crash near the parking lot top. One such debris almost landed on both Iwao and Shinohara. Thankfully, Piotr was nearby to prevent that from happening.

"Are you alright, comrades?"

"Thanks, Rasputin."

"Da. We must escape. Aogiri Tree must've planned for this."

Shinohara nodded in agreement. Iwao then spoke to Amon and Hirako.

"Amon, Hirako. Find some shelter to hide to. Me and Shinohara will catch up as soon as we remove these Aratas."

"Yes sir."

Danny asked Piotr,

"Piotr, shouldn't we try to find Kaneki?"

"I have good feeling he has already been found, Daniel. We must escape for our lives. You go ahead."

Danny nodded in agreement.

xxxxxx

Banjou led his people out of the building, but encountered a gated entrance.

"Crap. Hang on. I think I can…"

Just then, the gate was sliced apart by Tsukiyama, with Yomo and Uta joining him shortly.

"Hey. Are you with…Ken Kaneki, by any chance?"

Yomo answered his question.

"Yes. Do you know where he is?"

"I think he was looking for you guys."

xxxxxx

Numerous GCB soldiers and some Aogiri ghouls ran like hell escaping from the collapsing building. Some did not make it. Marude gave the general order.

"All units! Evacuate! GET OUT OF THERE!"

xxxxxx

The shopping mall, which served as the base for Aogiri Tree, eventually collapsed into ruin. Nishiki commented on the explosion that took place.

"This is messed up."

Just now, Kaneki felt something penetrating his mind. Although it did not hurt, the sensation still disturbed him.

" _What is…is there somebody…?_ "

 _Kaneki…_

" _Who is this…?_ "

Nishiki saw Kaneki grabbing his head with one hand for some reason.

"Kaneki, what's up?"

"Nishiki, get out of here. Take Touka with you."

"Sure."

He then sees Kaneki walking toward the crumbling building.

"Hey. Where you going?"

"Something's calling for me."

"Kaneki!"

xxxxxx

As the building was still collapsing, Suzuya saw two ghouls with white suits laying down. One was dead. The other, unconscious and pants less. He dragged the both of them for his own reasons while humming. He had a carefree expression while everything fell to pieces around him. Meanwhile, in another part of the area that was still in the process of being destroyed, Yoshimura looked on at the lengths Aogiri Tree would go to eradicate the doves, with Irimi and Hinami looking on in the open. A few moments later, Hinami sees somebody running toward them.

"Look!"

Irimi takes a closer look to see Daniel Rand running toward them.

"Danny!"

She ran toward him as well until the two embraced on another. She then asked,

"Where's Kaneki?"

"Piotr said that he may have been rescued already. We need to find the others without the GCB finding us."

Just as Danny finished, Hinami saw Nishiki arrive with Touka on his back.

"It's Nishiki. He's got Touka with him."

"We need to get out of here. It's not safe anymore."

Danny asked him,

"Did you see Kaneki?"

"Yeah. He was heading toward there."

"Why?"

"He said something was calling for him. I didn't hear anything."

Danny had an idea as to what may have called his student. Or rather, who.

"Mr. Rand?"

Asked Hinami when she wanted to know what Danny was thinking.

xxxxxx

At another building west of the collapsing battlefield, two striped-masked females, one wearing a black cloak and the other white, looked on at the chaos from afar.

"It's over now."

A male voice spoke from behind them. It was eventually revealed to be Akihiro Kanou stepping from the shadows.

"Kuro. Shiro. Let's go."

As the two walked on, Kanou looked at the flames that burned on.

" _We'll see each other again, Kaneki._ "

xxxxxx

Nico looked at the burning remains of the shopping mall.

"Look at that. My love nest is burning to the ground."

A ghoul wearing a suit and a clown mask said to him,

"At least you got to see it one last time. I know you were busy with the manhunt, but we thought you forgot about us."

"How can I ever forget about my darlings? Sorry I was out of touch, but now I'm back and better than ever."

Nico then took out a clown mask and puts it on.

"You know what they say about clowns…we get the last laugh."

xxxxxx

Piotr carried both Shinohara and Iwao on one arm each.

"Thanks for the ride, Colossus."

"After taking off the Aratas by force, we didn't have much energy left."

"I am always to be of service to you, comrades."

Both Hirako and Amon followed behind the three.

"Still, the Owl got away."

"Do not despair, Shinohara. You showed him that you were not man to be trifled with, let alone dismissed."

"What I can't believe is all this turned out to be nothing more than a trap for us."

"Da. You are right, Iwao. It caught all of us by surprise. I can only hope that my old friends managed to get the job done, and escape before the destruction happened."

Just as they almost out of range of the smoke and dust, Amon saw a white-haired individual walking toward the burning wreckage.

"Hey!"

"Amon, what is it?"

Asked Hirako.

"I just saw someone walking toward the fire."

"What'd you say?"

Asked Shinohara with Amon saying afterwards,

"I'm going for him."

"Let him go, Amon."

Said Piotr to everyone's surprise.

"Mr. Rasputin, you can't mean…"

"A cold and mighty wind will come soon to put out the fire."

"How can you tell?"

"Just got call from old boss. He's taking care of him now."

At first, the Investigators were confused by Piotr's words, only for them to come true. A large gust of wind blew through. And it turned out to be cold, as he said. While some of the GCB forces were too occupied by their injuries to care, others did not feel such a wind blowing by due to blowing some of their own.

"Damn it! Where are my casualty reports?!"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Marude, but half of our forces are dead."

Marude growled at how much of the GCB lost their forces due to this unwelcome development.

"Damn that Owl…"

xxxxxx

Kaneki soon made to the spot where the voice that spoke to him told him to go. This voice was different from usual. The cold wind eventually died down. After that, he would soon be approached five individuals. Two were a man with a visor covering his eyes, a black woman with white hair, a thin dark-blue furred individual, a built blue-furred one, and lastly a paraplegic with a British accent.

"Hello, Ken Kaneki. Do you know who I am?"

Kaneki took a moment to look though his father's memories.

"Professor X."

"Yes. More accurately, my name is Charles Xavier. I am the leader of these individuals you see before you. And like you, we are mutants."

Charles briefly spoke to Kaneki via telepathy.

" _Kaneki, do you know why we are here?_ "

"The threat of Aogiri Tree will most likely stay for quite a time before the GCB could effectively end it. We like to offer you a place among us."

"Did Yoshimura talk to you about this?"

"Professor, may I?"

"Go ahead."

Scott then spoke to Kaneki.

"Yes, he did. Via Piotr Rasputin, he was able to communicate his intentions to him. Kaneki, we know what you went through here."

Scott then asked Charles to communicate with him via telepathy.

" _We also know about how Anteiku is a sanctuary for ghouls who don't want to kill humans._ "

Kaneki now felt nervous.

" _Please Kaneki, do not be afraid. We had the opportunity to know them before we came to rescue you. This secret stays with us._ "

Kaneki now relaxed himself. Scott furthered explained their offer for Kaneki to stay at the X-Mansion.

"Kaneki, we want to help you. Not just because you're Logan's son, but also we X-Men never refuse to help a mutant in need."

"Cyclops is correct. Come with us. We'll gladly help you in any way we can."

Kaneki took amount to consider the offer. At first, he hesitated due to leaving behind the people who cared about him. On the other hand, he did not want to put them in further danger. He loved them too much for them to suffer vendettas like the ones he had to suffer before.

"Before I go, there's someone…I just have to say goodbye to."

xxxxxx

Hinami listened to what Touka asked of her.

"Okay."

She ran off in search of Kaneki. Little did Hinami know; he would appear in front of Touka while she was recuperating. He stood silent for a while, leaving Touka to do the talking.

"Glad you're okay. I like the hair."

Kaneki remained silent for a while longer.

"You might want to change it back though…you can't show up for work looking like that. You're gonna stick out like a sore thumb."

"…Yeah, I think this might be permanent."

"Really? Well, that sucks."

"How the hell do you think I feel? I look like an anime protagonist from the early 2000s."

Touka was shocked to hear Kaneki crack a joke in a moment like this. Even more surprising, she honestly thought it was funny as it got a laugh out of her. This made Kaneki smile a little.

"Touka…I'm leaving…to join the X-men."

"…I know."

Kaneki kneeled close to her and hugged her.

"Thank you…for giving a damn about me…even though I probably gave you some crap about it."

(play _On my own -_ _Katherine Liner_ )

He then got up and walked toward close to the edge of the lake in front of the both of them. After a moment passed, Kurt arrived to pick up Kaneki and teleport him to the blackbird. But not before waving Touka goodbye and saying,

"He is in good hands."

As soon as the two disappeared, loud jet engines could e heard nearby. Touka looked up to see a sleek jet flying into the sky, away from her. She reaches her hand up, only to grab nothing. She began to feel a certain kind of emptiness when Kaneki left. Hinami was there as well, seeing Kaneki go away, seemingly for good.

xxxxxx

Kaneki sat at the back of the jet interior, alone in his thoughts and memories. He first remembered what started his journey. The date with Rize which ended in tragedy and disaster. Turning into a ghoul for two days before fighting with Nishiki forced him to try something fatal to others, but not to him. Yoshimura offering him a place in his coffee shop before showing how ghouls blend in with human society. Learning not just how ghouls live, but also ways to better himself, thanks to the Iron Fist. How his Shifu helped him defeat Tsukiyama and rescuing the girlfriend of the ghoul who tried to eat Hide just to spite him, and how he returned the favor by helping Daniel Rand defeat Yen Lo Fei. He even remembered what Po Shen said to him.

 _flashback_

"You're a little like your shifu. You got the heart of a champion…"

 _end_

He even took it upon him to remember Ryouko and how she tried to save her, only for Rize to return and ruin it. How his encounter with the doves left a bad taste in his mouth, in every way possible. Whether it was hunting down Hinami or how Amon basically called him a wannabe hero in his face after facing Weapon X. Kaneki looked back on how regaining his past gave him a new level of pain before making the rogue mutants feel what he felt in a spectacular fashion. And lastly, how Aogiri Tree attempted to break him, but thanks in part to his father, pulled through and defeated the sadistic coward to put Kaneki through hell. He knew that he could only stay that strong because he found people who cared about him enough to make him feel as if there was honestly something to live for. Kaneki wondered if he would find something like in the X-Mansion. In America. Hank then said to everyone,

"We're here."

Charles then said to Kaneki,

"We're here, Kaneki. Come take a look."

Kaneki took the offer. Although it was nighttime back in Japan, it was midday in America.

"Woah. How did we get here so fast?"

"The blackbird can go Mach 8. Makes flying from Tokyo to New York one in matter of minutes. I should know, I built it."

Said Hank, explaining to Kaneki about the jet. He then makes the jet descend unto the basketball court, but the court slowly split open as the jet landed in the underground hangar. All exited the jet. Kaneki was impressed to see such a facility underneath a lavish-looking school.

"So, how do you like it, Kaneki?"

Asked Charles.

"It's…impressive in real life. The manga doesn't even do it justice."

"Ah. So, you've read our…exploits?"

"Yeah. Back in middle school."

Charles smiled a little.

"Kaneki…there's someone I'd like you to meet."

Kaneki followed Charles to the elevator. While that happened, Scott decided to make a call to Emma. However, she did not answer. Storm noticed this and asked him,

"What's the matter, Scott?"

"I'm…trying to reach someone…but she's not answering…"

Both Scott and Kaneki made it to the mansion interior. He sees a number of children around.

"Students?"

"Yes. I hope they won't be a bother to you."

"I don't think so."

After some more walking, both stopped in front of a room dor. Charles knocked on it for an answer. The person in question was a young woman. She seemed older than Kaneki. She had a slender figure, long black straight hair, had black lipstick on, and wore a black t-shirt with a logo and a black leather skirt.

"Hey professor. What's the…"

She then looked at how as beside the professor. She stopped speaking as she looked at Kaneki with unexpected emotion. Kaneki felt the same as she was the girl that his father said goodbye to before he died, but older. Charles then said to Kaneki,

"Kaneki, this is your older sister. Laura."

He then turned his attention to her.

"I told you, Laura. I would find…your little brother."

 **Kuzuri will return.**


End file.
